Homemade Dog Food

I want the best for my puppies. They are rescues and had hard lives before they came to me, so I want to make sure they are as happy, healthy, and comfortable as possible. In exchange, they protect the house, entertain us with their antics, and give snuggles. We had quite a scare when our smallest one vomited blood. We took her to the emergency vet to find out it was diet-related. Then our pointer mix started vomiting daily. I was feeding them a good brand of natural dog food for sensitive stomachs, but it just seemed like it was not good enough. I researched and found out that the ingredients in dog food are not well regulated and can be quite disgusting, if not dangerous to pets.So, I started making my own dog food at home. Yes, it takes time - it helps to make a big batch ahead of time or even freeze portions. But, its about the same price as the higher quality dry dog food. My dogs stopped vomiting immediately, and no more diarrhea. They have super-soft fur - like baby bunnies, and they scratch less indicating healthier skin. They don't have any more of the infamous "dog farts" that send you running from the room. They are more calm and content, too - not as much whining and hyper activity. I am so glad I tried it. You have to be careful with the portions, and its always good to supplement with a doggie multi-vitamin. Choose healthy, recommended ingredients - even 2 tablespoons of excess fat can cause pancreatitis and intestinal bleeding, so you have to be careful. There is a lot of conflicting information on the net, so when in doubt, leave it out. Here are some of the recipes that I have been successfully using, and of course, they are a hit with the doggies!


Basic Homemade Dogfood Portioning

1 cup cooked grains
1/2 cup cooked, chopped meat
1/2 cup cooked veggies
4 TBS chicken stock

Everything should be bland - no salt, seasonings, breading, skin, fat, etc. I typically use boiled brown rice or cooked pasta for my grains. For the meat, I use boiled or baked chicken, diced. You can also use scrambled eggs, tuna, salmon, or beef. The easiest veggies are the frozen peas and carrots mix or broccoli, carrots, and cauliflower mix.

Mix it up and serve at room temperature.

Chicken Chow

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup diced bland chicken
1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
4-6 TBS chicken stock

Mix and heat in a pan. Serve at room temperature.

Tuna Puppy Pasta

1 cup cooked macaroni
1 can drained tuna
1/2 cup frozen mixed veggies, cooked
4 TBS olive oil

Mix together and serve at room temperature.

Sunshine Scrambles

1 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup mixed veggies, cooked
3 eggs
1/4 cup milk

Beat eggs and milk in a bowl. Scramble in a greased pan over medium heat until done. Mix rice and veggies together and top with scrambled eggs. Serve at room temperature.

Awesome Crunchy Treats

Baby Carrots!

Yes, I keep a bag of baby carrots in the fridge at all times. A baby carrot makes a healthy treat, its cool and crunchy, you know its good for them, and they love it! I give them one at a time, and act like its a big deal when they get one :)