How to Make Your Own Dog Food (Plus Recipes)

Projections show that the global pet food market will reach $170.11 billion by 2030.

For the most part, store-bought dog food is pretty generic. It contains the essentials, and almost all dogs enjoy it, but you can make things healthier and more enjoyable for your furry friend by giving them homemade dog food. This is a great way to treat them, but there are some things you need to know before doing so.

Keep reading for a guide on how to make your own dog food.

Should You Feed a Homemade Diet?

Various pet food recipes can be found online, but many animals have sensitive stomachs. Before you start feeding your dog anything homemade, you should speak to your vet.

Many foods that are fine for us are unsafe for dogs, such as:

• Garlic
• Kale
• Grapes
• Onions
• Soy sauce
• Avocado
• Chocolate

There are many more, and a quick Google search will give you a more comprehensive list. Your dog may have reasons that it can’t eat specific foods, and your vet will be able to give you a better idea of this.

Slow Cooking Your Dog’s Meals

Some dog food recipes don’t involve cooking, and many prefer this as it saves time. However, a slow cooker allows you to cook your dog’s food while being time-efficient.

One of the best things about this is that you can cook a batch of it at once. Most homemade dog food can be refrigerated for at least a few days or frozen for about 8-10 weeks. This is also ideal if you have multiple dogs to feed.

Recipes – How to Make Your Own Dog Food

You can find plenty of homemade dog food recipes online. This is an example of a beef-based meal with plenty of healthy additions.

Ingredients:

• 2.5 pounds of ground beef
• 1.5 cups of brown rice
• 1.5 cups of chopped carrots
• 1.5 cups of chopped butternut squash
• 15-ounce can of kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
• 0.5 cups of canned or frozen peas

Stir the beef, rice, butternut squash, and kidney beans in your slow cooker. Add the peas, carrots, and 4 cups of water. Mix everything, then cover and cook for about 6 hours on low heat.

You can reduce the cooking time to around 2-3 hours by cooking it on high heat. Just note that if you do it this way, you’ll need to stir it regularly. Once it’s finished, you can serve a portion to your pup and put the rest in the fridge or freezer.

Easy Foods to Mix With Dry Dog Food

Dry dog food is one of the easiest ways to keep your dog fed, but it’s not very exciting. You can add a range of ingredients at home to give it more substance and keep it healthy. Some common options include:

• Eggs
• Muscle meat
• Organ meats
• Fish
• Yoghurt or Kefir
• Cooked or pureed vegetables
• Fruit

Dry food is generally high in carbohydrates, which is essential for dogs. Animal proteins are a popular addition as they can help your dog’s immune system, improve muscle growth, and more.

Your Dog’s Diet

Now that you have an idea of how to make your own dog food, you can start prepping your pet’s meals at home. Ensure you speak to your vet and make yourself aware of foods to avoid first. This is just one of many ways to make things better for your best friend.

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