150+ Homemade Dog Food Recipes

If you read last week's post, 60+ Fruits and Vegetables for Dogs , you know I'm big on healthy eating for our dogs.  I previously hadn't given a lot of thought to making my own food, I was quite happy with the raw treats and adding to their kibble , however, when our older dog contracted Lyme Disease and then diagnosed with Thyroid Disease, I felt I should make the change.  I'm glad I did, and so are Oscar and Macy!

I spent literally hours searching and reading sites for recipes I would make myself and therefore feel comfortable recommending to you.  Of course, check with your veterinarian before you make any dietary changes.  I am not a medical professional, just a Doggie Mom who loves and wants the best for her family, all of them.

Money Crashers, yes, not a website name you would associate with Dog Food recipes BUT, there are 10 healthy, simple recipes for meals and treats.

Life in the Hundred Acre Woods lists just one recipe but it's a good one!  It's prepared in the crockpot, can't get much easier than that.

Munchkins & The Military has 3 recipes; (1) 2-ingredient, (1) 3-ingredient and (1) Bacon Cheddar.  They seem straight forward and easy to prepare.

Skinny Ms. has a very low cost, nutrient packed recipe for the crockpot.

Dog Treat Kitchen is a comprehensive site with over 100 recipes including biscuits, cakes and meals.  There is plenty of great information you can tailor to your dog's needs.  She also offers a FREE ebook by signing up for the Newsletter.  This is one to bookmark!

Food.com offers just one recipe which looks the easiest to make from what I've seen so far.

Gourmet Sleuth has a lengthy, informative post including a basic recipe and 6 additional recipes.  The owner of this site is also has a degree in Foods and Nutrition.

Amazon offers over 30 FREE recipe eBooks for Kindle Unlimited Users.  The average non-Kindle user cost is $2.99.

You can get a FREE ebook, "21 Delicious Dog Food Recipes" from BreedingBusiness.com just for signing up.

Now that you have plenty of sites to check out, read and decipher what you like, you're asking "How much do I feed Fido?!"  There is no standard amount (i.e. 1/2 cup, 2 cups, etc.).  Just like us, it all depends on the size, age and activity level.  If your dog has medical issues, that will change the amount (and most likely the ingredients) as well.

I found Fido Savvy to be quite informative and they tell you how to calculate what your dog needs (it looks complicated but it's not).  They include puppies, pregnant/nursing, seniors, overweight, active/working dogs.

After all this reading, I've learned a key factor in feeding is calorie intake.  My suggestion would be this:

• Choose several recipes you want to create and make a master list of the ingredients.  Remember, most recipes are similar so the ingredient list should be fairly short.  
• Look up the calories per serving for the ingredient and note that on the master list.  Add to the list as you add to your recipe repertoire.  
• Back on the recipe pages, write down the total calories for that recipe.  

It sounds like a hassle but realize you only do this once for each recipe and then you have it forever.  You can also take the recipe pages to your Vet for confirmation.

Of course if this is your first venture into Homemade Dog Food it will be time consuming to get started but don't let that deter you.  Starting is always the hardest part in anything we do.  Once you get your feet wet, you'll realize how very easy this is and how happy and healthy your pets are.

**There are plenty more sites you can find by Googling Homemade Dog Food.  I didn't include more here because I felt they were either (1) Too lengthy and thereby confusing (2) poorly written (3) didn't offer any real pertinent information another site didn't already have or (4) it was just plain repetitive.