Dog Food Recipes | How often do we wonder what to cook for dinner tonight? But have you ever thought the same for your furry friend? Most pet parents end up with the same old store-bought meal for the pooch day in and day out. Now imagine how boring that must be for your pet. Who looks forward to the dried kibble twice every day?
So why not treat your best friends with something that is tasty and healthy but, more importantly, home-made. Today, we will share four dog delicacies that are quick, simple, and cheap and make your pup fall in love with you. But before you dive into your pet’s favorite food recipes, it is important to know what your dog really needs and how much.
Nutritional Value of Recipes
Most dog foods revolve around three major food groups, but the recipes we are going to share approximately contain nutrients in the following proportion.
50% cooked protein
25% vegetable produce and
25% cooked complex carbs
How Much Food Does My Pet Need?
Depending upon your pup’s weight, here are some general guidelines about how much food your pet needs. By keeping in mind your dog’s food requirement and whether you can store the food or not, you can decide on how much to cook for your pooch. As a rule, a more active dog would need more food so prepare accordingly.
Dog’s weight | Food Requirement (per day)
Less than 10 pounds | Less than ½ cup a day
10 – 20 pounds | ¾ cup – 1 2/3 cups per day
30 – 50 pounds | 1 ¾ cup – 2 2/3 cups per day
60 – 100 pounds and above | 3 cups – 4 ½ cups per day (an extra 1/3 cup per 10 pounds of weight above 100 pounds)
Each breed of dog has different nutritional requirements, so make sure you check with your vet before trying any of the home-made recipes below. Plus, food allergies are another major concern among several dog breeds. So always work with a professional before you switch your pup from store-bought food to home-made food.
Now let’s get started with the recipes.
Vege and Turkey Quick and Healthy DIY Home-Made Dog Food
Try this super easy and quick recipe that is a complete healthy meal for your pup. And surprisingly, it is way less expensive than any other store-bought alternative that you can find for your pet. It is a perfect dinner for your pooch tonight with a balanced proportion of protein, complex carbs, and veggies. Most importantly, you can easily store the leftover in the refrigerator and say fresh for up to three days.
Ingredients
Brown Rice – 1 1/2 cups
Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon
Ground Turkey – 3 pounds
Chopped Spinach – 3 cups
Shredded Carrots – 2
Shredded Zucchini – 1
Frozen or canned Peas – 1/2 cup
How to Go About it?
Using 3 cups of water, cook rice according to the instructions and set aside.
In a large pot, heat one tablespoon of olive Oil, add ground turkey. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes until the turkey is all crumbled.
Now add in all the vegetables and cooked rice and cook until everything is mixed well together. It will take another 3-5 minutes approximately.
Let it cool completely.
High Protein, Low Carb Home-Made Dog Food
Like your family, your pet, too, deserves the best ingredients and not just fillers. So why not add some protein to your pet’s diet through this high-protein, low-carb home-made dog food. It has many animal proteins combined with some tasty seafood and a share of carbs and veggies.
Ingredients
Ground Beef – 2 pounds
Ground Turkey – 2 pounds
Tuna – 14 ounces or 2 cans
Chicken Gizzards – 1/2 pound
Cottage Cheese – 1/2 cup
Large Eggs – 3
Cooked white rice – 1 cup
Sweet potato – 6 ounces
Green peas (cooked) – 6 ounces
Cauliflower – 6 ounces
Broccoli – 6 ounces
Apple – 1/2
Coconut Oil – 3 tablespoons
Directions
Prepare rice according to the instructions.
Boil chicken gizzards in a separate pot until cooked. Add eggs to the same pot and let it boil hard for good 10 minutes.
In another pot, cook the ground beef and ground turkey without adding Oil until browned. You can drain the excess fat after removing it from the heat.
Now grind cooked peas, all other vegetables (except sweet potato) and apple, cooled gizzards and peeled boiled eggs.
Heat sweet potato in a microwave for 3-4 minutes or until it gets soft.
Now in the same pot that contains beef and turkey, add all other ingredients, including the canned fish, cottage cheese, and coconut oil.
Mix well until everything is combined.
Now, this is a lot of food that you can place in freezer bags and your pup for enjoying it for several weeks.
Scrambled Eggy Spinach and Salmon
Most dog parents don’t try eggs in their pet’s meal, often fearing that they might have an upset stomach. But actually, eggs are a great source of digestible protein for your pet and contains a wide range of minerals and vitamins. So why not give it a try along with some sea protein.
Ingredients
Eggs – 2
Olive Oil – 1 teaspoon
Skinless salmon – ½ can
Thawed Spinach – ½ cup
Directions
In a skillet, add Spinach and salmon and continue to heat until it is fully cooked.
Now add in eggs (lightly beaten) and stir it for 2 minutes, so your eggs are fully scrambled.
Serve cool.
This is one of those on-the-go meals for your pup that you are prepared even on the busiest of days.
Beef Stew
Another protein and the vitamin-packed recipe is the beef stew. You can prepare it in bulk and refrigerate it for about a week.
Ingredients
Beef Stew Meat – 1 pound
Sweet potato – 1 small
Carrots, diced – ½ cup
Green Beans, diced – ½ cup
All-purpose flour – ½ cup
Olive Oil – 1 tablespoon
Directions
Heat sweet potato in a microwave oven for 5 minutes or until it gets soft.
In a large stew pot, cook beef stew pieces with Oil for up to 15 minutes.
Mix flour and water and add it to the pot to create a slightly thick.
Add vegetables and let the meal simmer for 10 minutes.
Let it cool completely.
Put your cooking skills to good use and try these delicious pet meals for your pooch. And don’t be surprised if your pup leaves the bowl licked clean!
by Bobby J Davidson || You can’t buy love, but you can rescue it™ .
Facts About Animal Homelessness:
Only 1 out of every 10 dogs born will find a permanent home.
The main reasons animals are in shelters: owners give them up, or animal control finds them on the street.
Each year, approximately 2.7 million dogs and cats are killed every year because shelters are too full and there aren’t enough adoptive homes. Act as a publicist for your local shelter so pets can find homes. Sign up for Shelter Pet PR.
Approximately 7.6 million companion animals enter animal shelters nationwide every year. Of those, approximately 3.9 million are dogs and 3.4 million are cats.
According to the National Council on Pet Population Study and Policy (NCPPSP), less than 2% of cats and only 15 to 20% of dogs are returned to their owners.
25% of dogs that enter local shelters are purebred.
About twice as many animals enter shelters as strays compared to the number that are relinquished by their owners.
It’s impossible to determine how many stray dogs and cats live in the United States. Estimates for cats alone range up to 70 million.
Only 10% of the animals received by shelters have been spayed or neutered. Overpopulation, due to owners letting their pets accidentally or intentionally reproduce, sees millions of these “excess” animals killed annually.
Many strays are lost pets that were not kept properly indoors or provided with identification.
According to The Humane Society, there are about 3,500 brick-and-mortar animal shelters in the US and 10,000 rescue groups and animal sanctuaries in North America.