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DIY dog food can easily be made right in the slow cooker. Its healthier and cheaper than store-bought, and its freezer-friendly!
If you didnt know what your slow cooker is capable of, youll be very happy to know that you can now add dog food to the crockpot list.
Remember that DIY homemade dog food recipe I made recently? Well, this is pretty much the crockpot version, using a blend of different veggies that will hold up a little better in the slow cooker.
Now the best part about this, just like all slow cooker recipes, is that you can simply dump everything right in. Thats it! Simply set it before you go to work and then you can come home to 2 weeks worth of dog food by the time you get home.
Its easy, its healthy, its nutritious, and you know exactly whats going into your pups bowl. This recipe is also completely customizable to veggies that you have on hand just be sure to double check what your pup can and cant eat. You can simply do a can my dog eat xyz search on Google.
But as always, please consult with your pets veterinarian for possible allergies and when applying this information to your own dogs diet.
Video Answer: Top 5 Grain Free Salmon Dog Food
Grain-free dog food is also corn-free dog food, which can help dogs who have corn sensitivity.
Instead of opting for a common protein like beef or chicken that may be causing irritation in a dog with food allergies, a novel diet may be centered around a less-common protein like venison, duck or salmon.
People Are Feeding Their Dogs Grain-Free Diets, and It May Be Bad for Their Hearts.
Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced that it is investigating a link between grain-Free dog foods which have ingredients such as sweet potatoes, peas and lentils and canine heart disease.
Purina ONE® Grain Free Dog Food.
Purina ONE grain free dog food offers wet and dry options with real meat as the first ingredient.
Our no-grain dog food is crafted with natural ingredients, with added vitamins, minerals & nutrients and no corn, wheat or soy.
It’s sure to keep him coming back, meal after meal.
However, some of the carbs used in grain-free pet foods are better options for your dog’s food, because they’re generally healthier than corn or wheat.
grain- or gluten-free wet dog food can be higher in protein and contain fewer carbohydrates, so that may be a better option.
After all, our dog’s health is essential to us, and we know that diet can make a big difference in a dog’s well-being.
Video Answer: Top 5 Natures Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
BLUE Freedom was created for pet parents who prefer to feed their dogs a high-quality, grain-free food that always features real meatwithout any of the grains that contain gluten.
Like all BLUE foods, it’s made from the finest natural ingredients enhanced with vitamins and minerals.
However, some of the carbs used in grain-free pet foods are better options for your dog’s food, because they’re generally healthier than corn or wheat.
grain- or gluten-free wet dog food can be higher in protein and contain fewer carbohydrates, so that may be a better option.
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Transitioning To Homemade Dog Food
Most dogs dont have a problem making the switch to homemade food. If yours is prone to digestive issues, start slowly by mixing a little bit of the homemade food with the commercial food.
Over the course of a week or two, gradually increase the amount of homemade food while decreasing the commercial food.
If your dog vomits or has diarrhea, try introducing only a couple of new ingredients at a time until their systems are well adjusted to the fresh diet.
For dogs with health issues, please consult with a veterinarian if you arent sure what kind of supplements are needed. Use your best judgment, the way you would when feeding yourself or your family.
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Video Answer: Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
However, some of the carbs used in grain-free pet foods are better options for your dog’s food, because they’re generally healthier than corn or wheat.
grain- or gluten-free wet dog food can be higher in protein and contain fewer carbohydrates, so that may be a better option.
However, some of the carbs used in grain-free pet foods are better options for your dog’s food, because they’re generally healthier than corn or wheat.
Grain- or gluten-free wet dog food can be higher in protein and contain fewer carbohydrates, so that may be a better option.
Preparation Of Our Homemade Diet
All of the information above might seem intimidating, but I assure you that making the actual meals for our dogs takes no more than 20 minutes of actual hands-on time.
First, we cook our complex carbs, whether theyre grains, legumes, or starchy vegetables.
While that pot is simmering on the stove, we cook the meat in a separate pan in coconut oil and ground turmeric. After its cooled a bit, we add chunks of meat to our food processor and pulse until theyre broken down into 1/2- to 1-inch pieces.
Then, we gather whatever vegetables or fruits we have in the kitchen , chop them up as needed, and toss them into the food processor.
We also add a few clean, crushed eggshells to the mix. A few pulses turns all this food into smaller pieces, making them more digestible for our dogs.
Finally, we add the cooled, cooked carbs to the food processor and do a couple more pulses to combine. Everything should have a finely crumbled texture by this point.
Since dogs have short digestive tracts, its crucial that you break down the food to increase its bioavailability that is, making all the nutrients in those wholesome ingredients more digestible in a dogs system.
I prepare enough food to last my two pugs an entire week. Its unbelievably easy, and I like knowing exactly what goes into their food. Friends will watch us feed our pugs and remark that it looks good enough for them to eat!
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Homemade Dog Food Sources
- Meats: chicken, turkey, beef, bison, pork, lamb, venison
- Vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, carrot, zucchini, summer squash, spinach, kale, collard greens, chard, thawed frozen peas
- Complex carbohydrates: brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, lentils, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, winter squash
Recommended Serving Amounts
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
This information is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Every dog’s dietary needs are different. Please consult with your veterinarian and use personal judgment when applying this information to your own dog’s diet.
Recommended Serving Amounts For Homemade Dog Food
As a general rule, dogs will eat around 2 to 3 percent of their ideal body weight in fresh food daily. Larger breeds may need as little as 1 1/2 percent, and smaller breeds may need as much as 4 percent.
This works out to be approximately:
- 2 pounds of food per day for a 100-pound dog
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds of food per day for a 50-pound dog
- 1/2 to 3/4 pound of food per day for a 25-pound dog
- 5 to 6 1/2 ounces of food per day for a 10-pound dog
There is much variation in what the ideal amount should be as it depends on how much your dog weighs and how active she is.
I feel that the best approach is to feed and watch if your dog is losing weight, give more, and if your dog is gaining weight, give less.
For our pugs, we feed a scoop each in the morning and a scoop each in the evening, plus all their supplements.
We have an easy system for this: homemade food is refrigerated in a sealed container with a measuring cup , and all the supplements are lined up together in a cupboard in the kitchen. Keeping your ingredients organized and accessible will make feeding time fast and smooth.
Compared to feeding commercial food, where you might scoop out kibbles or open up a can, feeding homemade food with all the supplements takes maybe 10 seconds more. And even if it took 10 minutes more, fresh wholesome food for our furbabies is worth it.
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Video Answer: Nature’s Recipe Dog Food
Orijen Grain-Free Senior Dog Food.
At a glance: This dog food contains many sources of meat and fish.
Good protein levels promote lean body mass and muscle strength in senior dogs.
Additionally, the fresh meats and fish provide senior dogs with a natural source of glucosamine and chondroitin to help those joints.
However, some of the carbs used in grain-free pet foods are better options for your dog’s food, because they’re generally healthier than corn or wheat.
grain- or gluten-free wet dog food can be higher in protein and contain fewer carbohydrates, so that may be a better option.
A General Guideline For Preparing Homemade Dog Food
My DIY dog food recipe is more of a general guideline, rather than an exact meal plan that I follow each week. My dogs diet changes the same way ours does, depending on what we do and what we buy or grow.
However, we almost always stay with this basic formula:
- 50 percent cooked protein
- 25 percent cooked complex carbohydrates
- Fats and supplements
Protein is always meat and usually chicken, though weve also used turkey, pork, and beef. We feed any and all parts of the animals, but most commonly, we saute chicken breasts or chicken thighs in coconut oil and ground turmeric.
Coconut oil has a host of health benefits for dogs, such as improving the skin and coat, increasing energy, aiding digestion, reducing allergic reactions, promoting wound healing, preventing yeast and fungal infections, and supporting arthritis or ligament problems.
Turmeric has long been studied for its powerful medicinal properties, including its use as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
We add it to the coconut oil since it is fat-soluble, and use it to support our pugs joint health.
Speaking of dark meat, we feed thighs and breasts interchangeably. While well remove the skin from poultry and trim off excessive fat from red meat, we dont worry about buying the leanest meat possible for our dogs.
A little fat is necessary for a well-rounded diet.
They tend to be the leftovers in our produce bin, so we never have to buy, say, a whole head of cauliflower just for the dogs.
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Our Rating Of Natures Recipe Grain Free Dog Food
Natures Recipe Grain Free is a dry dog food using a notable amount of named meat meals as its dominant source of animal protein, thus earning the brand 4.5 stars.
Highly recommended.
However, its unfortunate the company chose to include menadione in its recipes. Without this controversial ingredient, we may have been compelled to award this line a higher rating.
Cooking Our Way To A Healthier Dog Diet
Ever since I started raising my own dogs, Id always wanted to make their food at home but thought it would be too expensive or too time consuming, or that they wouldnt get the nutrition they needed.
During the month of Bugs doggy depression, I vowed to make her precious life as comfortable as possible.
Both of my pugs had a range of health issues growing up, which I unfortunately found out were common for the breed.
My older one had persistent hot spots and itchiness that no commercial dog food could cure .
Bug was overweight for a while when she was younger, even though she ate the recommended amount of food for her target weight. Eventually, I settled on Wellness kibbles and they did well with that brand.
But, I wanted to explore other options. I wanted to give them real food fresh, nutritious ingredients that I recognized and could even eat myself.
Ive mentioned in my post on homemade whole grain chicken feed that the entire household all share the same whole grains and seeds that we buy in bulk, as well as the bounty that comes from our edible garden.
Everything our animals eat, we can eat.
When it comes to homemade feed for our laying hens, we stick to a tried-and-true formula that works for every layer: 16 to 17 percent protein , vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from a wide variety of grains and seeds, and free range of a pasture for weeds, greens, and insects.
Dogs, on the other hand, arent bred for a standard function the way chickens are.
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Natures Recipe Grain Free Chicken Dry Dog Food
Dog Food, Grain Free, Chicken, Sweet Potato & Pumpkin Recipe, Adult
Feeding Instructions: Your dog’s food requirements vary depending upon breed, size, age, level of activity and environment. Use the chart as a guideline and adjust as needed to maintain optimum body weight. Older and less active dogs may require less food than is indicated in the chart. Daily total recommended can be divided into multiple smaller feedings. This product is not recommended for puppies less than one year of age or pregnant or lactating dogs. Provide plenty of fresh water at all times. Daily Feeding Guidelines: Weight of Dog : 3-10 Adults Over 12 Months Cups Per Day: 1/2 – 1. Weight of Dog : 10-20 Adults Over 12 Months Cups Per Day: 1 to 1-1/2. Weight of Dog : 20-50 Adults Over 12 Months Cups Per Day: 1-1/2 to 3-1/4. Weight of Dog : 50-100 Adults Over 12 Months Cups Per Day: 3-1/4 to 5-1/2. Weight of Dog : Over 100 Adults Over 12 Months Cups Per Day: Add 1/2 cup per every 10 lb of body weight over 100 lb.
The Results From Feeding Our Diy Dog Food
Back to the story of Bug
After only a couple of weeks of feeding her a homemade diet, the hubby and I were blown away by how much her mental and physical health improved. And we wholeheartedly believe she was able to bounce back because of her new food.
She went from an ailing, exhausted, incontinent, tail-down dog to a happy, energetic, curious, communicative pup. While she isnt miraculously walking again, her hip dysplasia also hasnt progressed or caused her any pain.
Weve learned to watch for signs that she needs to relieve herself as weve realized she knows when she has to go, she just cant get there without our help.
We feed both of our pugs the same food, with the hope that we can stave off any potential health problems for our older one.
When we travel, well bring their homemade food on the road in a cooler. On occasion, weve even ordered their dinner from a restaurant when we ran out of food .
If were camping, well usually just feed them whatever were cooking in camp they love corn on the cob, hobo packs , and the whole assortment of tri-tip, sausages, and ribs that weve usually got going on.
As you might imagine they lovecamping trips!
Homemade dog food gives us the flexibility to fine-tune their diet as needed. Im forever grateful for the extra time we were given with our beloved Bug as a result of the food we chose to feed her.
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How It Works:
Digestibility is an important factor to consider when purchasing your dog’s food because it’s the percentage of nutrients absorbed from the food your dog eats. Nature’s Recipe Grain Free Easy to Digest formulas are designed to be easily digestible which helps provide essential vitamins and minerals for complete nourishment.
How to Use