Homemade Dog Food: Homemade dog food diet is more nutritious for our dogs than commercial foods, but you have to be committed and willing to put some thought into variety to be sure your dog gets ample vitamins and supplements, etc.

To use homemade dog food, you have to be committed and willing to put some thought into variety to be sure your dog gets ample vitamins and supplements, etc.

I want to make very clear that I believe there are some good commercial dog foods on the market. They all have their peculiarities in that one food will not fit every dog. For example, our dogs have to be fed dog food without wheat, corn, and beef. That goes for treats as well. The majority of dogs have iron stomachs and can eat anything. Until recent years, it has been very difficult to find food or treats without these products.

A few companies who are more interested in a buck than producing quality foods have hurt those who are trying to produce a healthy, nutritious product. Veterinary organizations have reported thousands of dogs who have died after eating commercial dog foods. Many sources speculate that the actual number of affected dogs may never be known. Several major companies have recalled thousands of dog food products because the foods may cause vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, weight loss, liver damage, lameness, or death.

In years past we have used Canidae, Nutro, Natural Balance, and Flint River Ranch. Because of formula changes in both Canidae and Nutro, we had to change because the formula change caused stomach upset in our dogs. But there are multitudes of dogs that adjusted to the change in formula without incident. Our dogs have very sensitive stomachs. Flint River Ranch has been a good choice and our dogs eat it well. It is a good idea to select 2 or 3 good commercial foods and alternate them. Over several months of use of a single food, they can develop food allergies to that particular brand. So changing every several months is a good idea.

We use Flint River Ranch Lamb Meal, Millet Rice Dog Kibble and supplement with our own homemade recipe. Flint River Ranch's Lamb, Millet & Rice is oven-baked food specially formulated for dogs with sensitive stomachs and food allergies.

Homemade dog food takes several hours to prepare. We make a 2 week batch at the time. We normally use 15 lbs of chicken, about 5 lbs of veggies, and about 2 lbs of carbohydrates. Remember, since we are supplementing our Flint River kibble, every meal does not have to be perfectly balanced. They are getting the vitamins and minerals needed from the Flint River Ranch Dog Food.

We normally spend about 4-5 hours in the cooking, grinding, and packaging for a two week supply. We measure it out in individual containers and freeze them.

If feeding only a homemade diet, a good dog food recipe is a combination of rice, ground cooked meat with broth, vegetables, calcium, and a small amount of cod liver oil. Brown rice or oatmeal are good carbohydrates for dogs. Dogs don't really have to have carbs, but it is good for energy. Good meats are beef, chicken, fish. Carrots and spinach are good vegetables, but they need to be processed first to aid in the digestion. Cod liver oil in small amounts with omega 3 helps keep your dog's coat shiny.

NOTE: Don’t rely on recipes
It is difficult to ensure that your dog gets all the nutrients he needs if you feed the same food all the time. Be sure to use a variety of meats, veggies, carbs, etc. Have fun!
Sample Daily Cooked Diet and Supplements
Remember, you don't eat a balanced meal every time, so it’s not necessary to feed a balanced diet every day, as long as the diet is balanced over time. But, if you feed at least half of Flint River Ranch, along with your homemade diet, you can be assured they are getting all the necessary supplements like vitamins and minerals.

Suggested Recipe for 3 Westies, 16 - 20 lbs.

15 lbs of oven baked chicken, skin included (save broth)
You can also use turkey, beef (if not allergic), salmon (with bones for calcium) or sardines
At feeding time, you can add yogurt or cottage cheese for calcium, or cooked egg for added protein
5 lbs of fatty acids such as carrots, sweet potato, broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini
2 lbs of brown rice or oatmeal

(1) Bake meat in the oven or crock pot until good and tender (without seasonings). Grind or tear meat apart.

(2) Boil or steam veggies. Grind them so the vegetables will be digestible.

(3) Prepare rice or oatmeal.

(4) Add broth and mix well.

Mix all ingredients well. Place enough food for each meal in containers and freeze. Take out in time for it to thaw out in the refrigerator daily and add dry kibble when ready to serve. Watch them enjoy!

More Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Deni Commercial Meat Grinder 1 Hp Motor

If you plan to really get serious about making your own homemade dog food, the Deni Commercial Meat Grinder is a great help. This is the one we use and is a very good quality machine. It is fast, easy to clean up, and easy to use.

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