Homemade Dogfood

[801driver]

I make my own also, fry couple lbs ground beef, cooked minute rice, cornbread, parboiled potato cubes, cooked carrots, green beans, peas, wet it down with chicken broth, freeze in containers. Hell, if I need a quick meal I could just salt and pepper some and eat it my self. Ha Ha Yep, about the same price as canned dog food, I give him some dry on the side and he can choose what bite to take.

 

[KBFlyer]

I've never trusted store bought dog food, so I've been making a supplement dog food and adding it to dry dog food for our black labs ever since they graduated off puppy kibbles. Roxy just turned 14 and Addy died of bone cancer about 8 years ago. They both loved it.
Mine is pretty simple and varies with what is in the fridge and freezer, but always runs pretty uniform.

-4 to 5 pounds of meat (all the trimmings--beef, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, chopped raw bacon)
chopped into roughly 1" pieces. All cartilage is considered meat
-about 3 pounds sliced carrots
-1 bunch of sliced celery
-1 large yellow onion coarse chopped
-any left over veggies in the fridge (usually broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, or blanched swiss chard)
-some tomato sauce or paste
-1 quart of beef or chicken broth
-2 quarts of water

The liquids and veggies go in a BIG pot and boil for a couple of hours. Then the meat is added and boiled for 1 hour. The pot is moved to the back of the stove over low heat for about 4 hours. When cool, it is packaged up in 6 plastic tobacco cans and frozen.
When a container is thawed out, all the fat on the surface is removed.
At meal time, I mix a generous amount into 1 cup of the dry dog food. Visiting critters get the same thing to eat and the bowls always come back licked spotlessly clean.
Gary

Never ever give dogs onions. By doing so you are poisoning them slowly.
All parts of the onion plant are toxic to dogs, including the flesh, leaves, juice, and processed powders. Whether raw or cooked, fried or powdered, onions and the rest of the allium family (garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives) are harmful to dogs.

 

[GaryHibbert]

Never ever give dogs onions. By doing so you are poisoning them slowly.
All parts of the onion plant are toxic to dogs, including the flesh, leaves, juice, and processed powders. Whether raw or cooked, fried or powdered, onions and the rest of the allium family (garlic, shallots, leeks, and chives) are harmful to dogs.

Didn't know this about onions. Good to know, but both of our dogs (black lab sisters from the same litter) were fed this supplement from the time they switched from puppy food to adult food. Roxy lived to the age of 14--good for a lab--and Addy died of bone cancer at age six, so it doesn't seem like onions affected them at all.
Gary

 

[KBFlyer]

Didn't know this about onions. Good to know, but both of our dogs (black lab sisters from the same litter) were fed this supplement from the time they switched from puppy food to adult food. Roxy lived to the age of 14--good for a lab--and Addy died of bone cancer at age six, so it doesn't seem like onions affected them at all.
Gary

Ya some dogs can tolerate more then others. Some have cast iron guts and others will cost you big time in vet bills trying to figure out what they can eat.
After getting my Golden Retriever and being retired I started making her home food, you really have to be careful of the ratios of meat, veg's and I use rice as the binder with pure pumpkin. Not the pie filling one as it has tons of sugar. The ground beef and skinless chicken breast I boil for 20 minutes, let cool and run the chicken breast through my grinder and mix every thing together. She will not eat carrots for some reason. Loves peas. I mix it all in with her dry dog food. Some days its gone faster then speeding bullet and other days she takes all day to eat it.

I also make these homemade dog treats which she just loves. I freeze them and on hot days its like a doggie popsicle :)

Ingredients:

One 398mL can pumpkin puree (plain) for dogs not pie mix. get from petsmart or Amazon, sometimes walmart will have it.
2 Tbsp. honey (honey is a natural sweetener)
1 large egg (can skip it if your dog is allergic)
1 Tbsp. applesauce
1 Cup whole wheat flour (add more if needed)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Serving size: 10 to 15 cookies
Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes

 

[paulgeorge]

Ya some dogs can tolerate more then others. Some have cast iron guts and others will cost you big time in vet bills trying to figure out what they can eat.
After getting my Golden Retriever and being retired I started making her home food, you really have to be careful of the ratios of meat, veg's and I use rice as the binder with pure pumpkin. Not the pie filling one as it has tons of sugar. The ground beef and skinless chicken breast I boil for 20 minutes, let cool and run the chicken breast through my grinder and mix every thing together. She will not eat carrots for some reason. Loves peas. I mix it all in with her dry dog food. Some days its gone faster then speeding bullet and other days she takes all day to eat it.

I also make these homemade dog treats which she just loves. I freeze them and on hot days its like a doggie popsicle :)

Ingredients:

One 398mL can pumpkin puree (plain) for dogs not pie mix. get from petsmart or Amazon, sometimes walmart will have the solution of dog stopped eating.
2 Tbsp. honey (honey is a natural sweetener)
1 large egg (can skip it if your dog is allergic)
1 Tbsp. applesauce
1 Cup whole wheat flour (add more if needed)
2 tablespoons peanut butter
Serving size: 10 to 15 cookies
Bake @ 350 for 25-30 minutes

Prep time: 15 minutes

Appreciate if anyone can offer what they are feeding their doggies in regards to canned dog food. I would like to feed raw food to my dog however I just don't have the time. I just purchased Longevity from Springtime and Nadia is currently eating Cannidae. I really would appreciate some high quality canned food recommendations. Thank you all for your input.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Appreciate if anyone can offer what they are feeding their doggies in regards to canned dog food. I would like to feed raw food to my dog however I just don't have the time. I just purchased Longevity from Springtime and Nadia is currently eating Cannidae. I really would appreciate some high quality canned food recommendations. Thank you all for your input.

Before I switched to making my own, I fed mine Blue Buffalo Family Favorites. There are several different flavors to choose from. If you're ever wanting reviews or other info on any dogfood, check out this...

Dog Food Reviews and Ratings | Dog Food Advisor

The Dog Food Advisor's unbiased dog food reviews and ratings searchable by brand or star rating. Find the best dry, canned or raw food for your dog.

www.dogfoodadvisor.com

On the website, canned is called wet food. There are a bunch of categories reviewed including dry, wet (canned), raw, fresh, puppy, etc. I've used this as a source of info about dogfood for a long time...

 

[bradger]

sounds good thinking of starting to make my own too, my one dog was eating really slow until i started adding fresh pet. it was a problem because as soon as he walked away from his bowl my other dog would run in and eat it.
as a side note, if the carrots you get still have the leafy parts. can make a good pesto.

 

[mike243]

I bought my wife a brown Lab silver phase almost 10 years ago, we only wanted the best for him, for probably 7+ years we fed him a grain free diet per my wifes wishes, talking with the vet she said to get him off the GF diet as it was causing heart problems, he would have been 10 today, we lost him 2-3 months ago to some type of heart problem. She fed him $$ at almost $100 a bag that lasted a few weeks, hard to lose a family member, we have a beagle that we love but savage had a human mind trapped in a dogs body. Been tough around here as he thought he was the favorite grandkid lol. When a dog can unscrew the lid on a water bottle then find a paper towel to soak up what he didn't drink.

 

[Gonna Smoke]

for probably 7+ years we fed him a grain free diet per my wifes wishes, talking with the vet she said to get him off the GF diet

Yeah, the whole grain free thing and the associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) is up for debate, but I too, no longer feed my dogs a GF diet.

Sorry for your loss, Mike, I know it's tough...

 

[Brokenhandle]

I bought my wife a brown Lab silver phase almost 10 years ago, we only wanted the best for him, for probably 7+ years we fed him a grain free diet per my wifes wishes, talking with the vet she said to get him off the GF diet as it was causing heart problems, he would have been 10 today, we lost him 2-3 months ago to some type of heart problem. She fed him $$ at almost $100 a bag that lasted a few weeks, hard to lose a family member, we have a beagle that we love but savage had a human mind trapped in a dogs body. Been tough around here as he thought he was the favorite grandkid lol. When a dog can unscrew the lid on a water bottle then find a paper towel to soak up what he didn't drink.

The harder it is to lose them just proves how much they meant to you!

Ryan

 

[ajbert]

I have been grinding up deer and elk meat the last ten years for the dog. Not the entire deer, just the stuff we don't use for making sausage. He gets a half cup of dry food morning and evening, and a 1/4 lbs of ground meat for dinner with a sprinkling of the dry food. I even holler out, "SPRINKLES!", when I put the dry one. The meat is frozen and we just thaw it out. Our vet seems quite happy with his diet.

 

[mr_whipple]

First let me say that our dogs are our 4-legged, fur covered children and we love them dearly. They are a very important part of our lives and everyone in our family has at least 2. That being said, I have been making my own dogfood for probably 10-15 years. I use this in addition to their dry kibble, not in place of it, but I've been reluctant to post the recipe here as I fully understand what our dogs mean to us all and would never want to do anything that would harm one of yours or mine.

So it's time once again to make another batch and I've decided to post my recipe that I developed after doing a lot of reading about what's good for dogs and talking to my vet. Not saying that this is the perfect recipe for everyone, but our dogs have been eating it for a long time. It all started with Molly. She's gone now, but the last few years of her life she had lost most of her teeth and I started buying really good canned food for her. Well as anyone who has bought quality canned food knows, it is very expensive so that's what lead me down the path of developing my own recipe and besides, I know what's in it.

Here it is for those who may be interested...

• 3-4 lbs. Boneless meat cut up into small pieces. I use either boneless pork loin or boneless/skinless chicken breast, whatever I can find on sale. Usually it’s around $1.99/lb.
• 1 lb. Dry beans re-hydrated overnight in 6 cups of water. I use pinto beans and buy them in bulk from Walmart, usually 10lb. Bags.
• 2-3 lbs. Fresh carrots chopped. I buy the whole carrots from Aldi or Walmart. Do not peel.
• 3 lbs. Sweet potatoes chopped. Do not peel. I buy them at Aldi or Walmart.
• 3 lbs. Fresh apples chopped. Remove the seeds, but do not peel. I buy whatever is the cheapest at Aldi or Walmart.
• 1½-2 cups brown rice. Walmart brand.
• 4 12oz. bags of frozen green beans. I use Walmart brand.
• 4 12oz. bags of frozen leaf spinach. Walmart brand.
• 3 1lb. bags of frozen sweet peas. Walmart brand.

I combine everything except the frozen vegetables in a large pot (24 quart), including the water the beans are soaked in, and bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook about 1 – 1½ hours until all is very tender, stirring often to prevent burning on the bottom. The frozen vegetables are cooked/heated in a separate pot (12 quart) without water until warm or hot, stirring regularly to prevent burning. As they thaw/cook, they'll create their own moisture. Once hot, I combine them in with everything else in the big pot and cook until all is very tender or falling apart stirring regularly to combine well. I puree it all using an immersion blender and then put it in quart containers. Should yield about 10-12 quarts and lasts us about 6 weeks or so. Allow to cool before putting in freezer. The cost is, or was last time I did the math, around $25-$30 total whereas a quality canned food is $3-$4, or much more, for each 12oz-14oz can.

I use no seasonings or canned vegetables. I have used broccoli, but it gave my dogs TERRIBLE gas so never again. There is a debate about the effects on dogs' health when eating a grain free diet, dilated cardiomyopathy, or DCM, but that's another topic altogether...

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Yeah, it looks very unappetizing, but really doesn't taste bad, just could use a little seasoning... I feed our dogs a ½&½ mixture of my wet and the dry I buy. By the way, I heat it up a little in the microwave. Yes I know...spoiled rotten...

So... I'm going to make this as written this weekend. Just waiting for the quart containers that Mr. Bezos says will be here Friday. Biggest I have is a 20 quart pot unless you count the steamer pot which is yuge. Also, I saved the receipt to do a cost comparison but I'll be damned if I can find it. I probably tossed it not paying attention. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I took Thing #1 to the vet because he was getting fat quick. Figured I'd be getting the business about my dogs diet and exercise but that would have been much preferred to what went down. Short story is he was diagnosed with right side heart failure and was full of fluid, not fat. They called in a mobile ultrasound guy who had quite the badass setup. They drained 2400+ ml of fluids out of him, and he's now on 4 meds for life (one is generic viagra sidenafil something) and now seemed to be the time to change his diet for the better, vet concurs as does a good friend who had a dog with CHF also. Said the diet made a huge difference. So, since they drained him and put him on a million pills a day he is as happy and energetic as ever and isn't filling back up which is the big concern and what the meds are supposed to prevent. This recipe ticks apretty much all the boxes from everything I read inre dog nutrition and vitamin / mineral requirements. Thanks again for posting this and I'll let ya know how it turns out. I have no worries about either dog not liking this... they are serious chow hounds.

 

[Brokenhandle]

So... I'm going to make this as written this weekend. Just waiting for the quart containers that Mr. Bezos says will be here Friday. Biggest I have is a 20 quart pot unless you count the steamer pot which is yuge. Also, I saved the receipt to do a cost comparison but I'll be damned if I can find it. I probably tossed it not paying attention. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I took Thing #1 to the vet because he was getting fat quick. Figured I'd be getting the business about my dogs diet and exercise but that would have been much preferred to what went down. Short story is he was diagnosed with right side heart failure and was full of fluid, not fat. They called in a mobile ultrasound guy who had quite the badass setup. They drained 2400+ ml of fluids out of him, and he's now on 4 meds for life (one is generic viagra sidenafil something) and now seemed to be the time to change his diet for the better, vet concurs as does a good friend who had a dog with CHF also. Said the diet made a huge difference. So, since they drained him and put him on a million pills a day he is as happy and energetic as ever and isn't filling back up which is the big concern and what the meds are supposed to prevent. This recipe ticks apretty much all the boxes from everything I read inre dog nutrition and vitamin / mineral requirements. Thanks again for posting this and I'll let ya know how it turns out. I have no worries about either dog not liking this... they are serious chow hounds.

Sad news about your dog but glad they figured it out and he's doing better!

Ryan

 

[Gonna Smoke]

I'm still making it about every 6 weeks or so depending on how many dogs besides our 2 are here. Haven't changed a thing. My older dog Bailey is 12 and has been eating it his whole life. The only thing I've changed, or rather added to their diet is raw beef liver. In the morning when I feed them, I add ¼ of a slice of beef liver to their bowls. After doing more reading about dog nutrition, raw organ meat is very healthy for them. Since liver is the easiest to find, I use that. I buy the frozen packs from Walmart that have 4 slices in each. I semi-thaw the pack and cut the slices into fourths...

 

[mr_whipple]

Sad news about your dog but glad they figured it out and he's doing better!

Ryan

Ya know... I was pretty torn up initially, but for now I'm quite optimistic all things considered. He was a heartworm positive rescue, and this coming Memorial day will be 5 years I've had him. I think he's gonna be around a bit longer!

 

[paulgeorge]

So... I'm going to make this as written this weekend. Just waiting for the quart containers that Mr. Bezos says will be here Friday. Biggest I have is a 20 quart pot unless you count the steamer pot which is yuge. Also, I saved the receipt to do a cost comparison but I'll be damned if I can find it. I probably tossed it not paying attention. Anyhow, a few weeks ago I took Thing #1 to the vet because he was getting fat quick. Figured I'd be getting the business about my dogs diet and exercise but that would have been much preferred to what went down. Short story is he was diagnosed with right side heart failure and was full of fluid, not fat. They called in a mobile ultrasound guy who had quite the badass setup. They drained 2400+ ml of fluids out of him, and he's now on 4 meds for life (one is generic viagra sidenafil something) and now seemed to be the time to change his diet for the better, vet concurs as does a good friend who had a dog with CHF also. Said the diet made a huge difference. So, since they drained him and put him on a million pills a day he is as happy and energetic as ever and isn't filling back up which is the big concern and what the meds are supposed to prevent. This recipe ticks apretty much all the boxes from everything I read inre dog nutrition and vitamin / mineral requirements. Thanks again for posting this and I'll let ya know how it turns out. I have no worries about either dog not liking this... they are serious chow hounds. Ant nutrition and care

thank you so much for your suggestion

 

[mr_whipple]

So... I did make this, but have been remiss in posting. Made it as is with one whoops. I used a 2 lb bag of pinto beans instead of 1 lb so I had to add more water. That and my 20 quart pot was as close to too small as you can get, ended up splitting it into two pots. When it was done I hit both pots with the stick blender then put it all back in the big pot to fill the containers. With the added beans and water I ended up with 14 quarts plus about 1/4 qt that I fed the dogs that day. They absolutely love it! I found the receipt but have yet to add it up. Next time I think I'm going to run the meat and non-frozen veggies thru the kidney plate just to save some knife work. That and leaving the frozen stuff thaw the night before in the fridge might be a time saver also. Anyway, I'm super happy and so are the doggos! Thanks again Gonna Smoke for posting the recipe!

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Glad it worked out for you.

Next time I think I'm going to run the meat and non-frozen veggies thru the kidney plate just to save some knife work.

I have actually been thinking about this very thing. Next time, it's on...

 

[Brokenhandle]

Thought about this when happened to be in a Walmart today... game on. Total price as of today... $28.46. Next year will save and can or freeze our apples from our trees. As the apples were $12.39.

Had to use two pots to start with, then added them together and used 2nd empty pot to do veggies.

Dogs had a small sample...now they are all about it!

Currently, 3 big bowls cooling outside at 19 degrees. Did use food processor at the end instead of immersion blender.
Thanks Charles, Gonna Smoke for the recipe! You know us... not pets, but family members!

Ryan

 

[Chris_in_SoCal]

I don't make food for my kids but my 7yo Golden Retriever has skin problems.

We only buy high quality dry food. I used to supplement it with some canned but have stopped that completely.

Now I cook up chicken breasts with no seasonings added. Either I set aside some of what I am cooking for us or just cook up a package and put it in the fridge. I don't give them a large amount but cut it very fine and mix it with their dry food.

They are both happy to gobble it down and the golden has not had as bad of skin conditions since doing this.

Once in a while I will do it with beef instead if I have extra.