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Kirin's Home Cooked Dog Food You Can Afford!
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Tired of expensive dog food that you don't know whats in it? Spending an arm and a leg for your furbaby and worried what is in it? Here is a nutritious alternative you can make yourself, and know what's in it! A one pot wonder your dog will love you fo
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The following recipe was created by myself, after last year's pet food recall scare. Though there are great pet foods out there, most of them are so expensive it rival's my family of four's weekly grocery bill. I love my dog, she is a member of our family, and I want her to have good wholesome food. She also suffers terrible skin problems itching herself like crazy. I decided to create a pet food myself, knowing what was in it, using only wholesome ingredients.
I decided against a raw food diet, mainly due to the fact I needed something that would keep, and would be still nutritious, and, easy for dog care providers and my children to feed her. No "yuck" factor involved. I can also make PLENTY by doubling the recipe, and alter it each time I make it with different ingredients.
You can vary this recipe as you like, but to start off I will break down the main components.
- Meat: All dogs need meat. If you wish to try a vegan variation of this recipe, by all means. I suggest though you check with your vet on what non meat protein items are best for dogs. Avoid pork. Never use pork to feed a dog, they have notorious bad reactions to it, i.e. the runs. Unless you have a steam cleaning company on speed dial, avoid pork (this includes ham and bacon). The meats I use vary, but usually 1lb by weight no matter what the protein source. Do not buy the "best" quality meat, you want fresh and good, but dogs are very very happy with lesser cuts. Ground chicken, turkey or beef, offal such as beef or chicken liver, kidneys, or hearts, shank end cuts (de-boned of course) or ask the butcher for "scraps"..... they are usually pretty happy to sell the odd end meats for extreme low prices. Its all good stuff! Before you throw out something slightly freezer burnt in your freezer, as long as it is NOT past the expiration date, your dog will love it. Freezerburnt items are a texture/taste issue, not a spoiled food or nutrition issue. Dogs simply do not care if chicken is dry or rubbery or steak isn't tender. Beef and chicken hearts are great and they love them, but only use liver or kidney once in a while. I am no expert myself but vets advise against too much "filter organ" meats for long periods of time. Also avoid really questionable meats like chicken feet, tripe and the like. Things that would be labled as "by product" on a can, you don't really want to be feeding to your dog.
- Grains/carbohydrates: My recipe calls for long grain brown rice due to my dog's allergies. However, other good grains that can be used are oatmeal, white rice (in a pinch), and barley. I do not recommend polenta or pasta, as most dogs have sensitivities to corn and wheat.
- Vegetables/fruit: This is where nutrition comes in, you can literally interchange just about anything in the recipes with a few exceptions. Do not use Corn, Onions, or garlic, many dogs are sensitive to these items, and onions and garlic can cause issue with dogs so avoid them.
- GOOD quality kibble: I advise with each feeding to add in 1/4 to 1/2 cup of extremely good quality kibble to maintain a vitamin balance of your dog. If this idea is not appealing to you and you would like to go without, that's fine. Check with your vet for a vitamin supplement to be sure your pet's diet is balanced. Also, if not giving kibble, add some raw vegetables to the meal at feeding time for the health of their teeth... nice crunchy vegetables are best.
Here are the two recipes:
Dinner:
1lb meat of choice
1 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
3 1/2 cup water
1 12 oz package Frozen peas & carrots
1/4 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 12 oz pkg frozen butternut squash
1 tablespoon olive oil (for shiny coat and good fats)
In a large soup pot (that has a cover) add olive oil. Cut up meat if it isn't ground meat, and brown in olive oil. Once browned, add water, add fresh cranberries and simmer for ten minutes covered. Remove cover and add vegetables, and rice, mix well, cover and cook for 1/2 hour. Mix again. If water remains, continue cooking at increments of 5-10 minutes until liquid is absorbed. Store in tupperware containers. Freezes well.
Feed from fridge (or thawed from freezer) with 1/2 cup dry kibble or 1/2 fresh crunchy vegetables.
BREAKFAST:
3 eggs
1/2 cup fresh berries (blueberry, cranberry nothing with seeds)
1/2 pkg frozen mangoes or 3 fresh cut up mangoes
3 peeled cored and cubed apples (any kind)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed.
1 1/2 cup long grain brown rice
3 1/2 cups water
In a large soup pot (with cover) add water, rice, fruit, berries and sweet potato. Cover and cook (on a low temp) until almost all of the water is absorbed by the rice, but mixture remains mushy. Mix eggs in a bowl and scramble, add to hot cooking mixture mixing immediately. Finish cooking until water is absorbed (it will resemble a fried rice mixture with the egg). Store in tupperware, freezes well!
Feed from fridge or thawed from freezer with 1/2 cup dry kibble, or 1/2 cup fresh uncooked crunchy fruit.
My dog Daisy loves these meals, and feels extra special getting them. My kids will smell it cooking and wonder why its not for them! If your Pup has any issues (i.e. the runs), with any recipe, you can alter the ingredients to find the offender. Some fruit will give dogs problems while other dogs it doesn't bother.
You can be as creative as you like, and make as much or as little as you like and vary the grains, meats and vegetable/fruits that you know your baby likes!
I hope this is useful to Dog owners, I have found it affordable, easy to do, and much appreciated by Daisy who's skin condition has completely dissapeared.
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