It's a fact, feeding your pup a diet of 100% human-grade dog food is easy, cost-effective, and WAY better for them than a traditional doggie diet of processed kibble! My easy homemade dog food recipe combines lean ground sirloin, wholesome brown rice, fresh vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, and tender herbs for a healthy, vibrant alternative to traditional dog food that has given our 11-year-old dog a new lease on life!
***Please note, I am not a veterinarian, just a very passionate dog owner! The information in this blog post documents our own personal experiences, research, and the recipes that we feed our dogs under our veterinarian's careful supervision. Please, consult with your vet and use your own personal judgment when considering transitioning to a 100% human-grade food diet for your pup. This post was updated with a video on August 16, 2020, updated with additional recipe links 9/14/2020, updated 1/7/2021 with metric measurements, updated 1/3/2022 with recipe links for hydrating meals.***
At the end of 2019, during our yearly vet check, we received the devastating news that our 11 year old dog's blood work showed that he was in stage 4 kidney failure!
How To Make Homemade Dog Food On The Stove
Honestly, I was a basket case, how on earth did we miss this? He seemed like he was just dealing with some symptoms of getting older - frequent urination, sometimes excessive water drinking. It definitely didn't feel like life-threatening symptoms. As much as the diagnosis was a shock, the price tag of the prescription diet he would need to eat for the remainder of his life was pretty horrifying too!
We spent the days that followed his diagnosis in-between cuddle puddles in the floor with him and Google deep dive sessions researching canine kidney disease.
After reading about a bazillion articles we found that there were a few super easy changes we could immediately make at home besides diet that would positively impact Hooch's health and make things easier on his kidneys.
Homemade Dog Food Recipe
When people find out we make our own dog food at home they always ask us, What about a raw diet?, so let's get that out of the way first....
There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pup's gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you - if you get my drift.
The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consist of lean ground sirloin, brown rice, carrots, hard boiled eggs, parsley, and a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omega's. But sometimes, especially since social distancing, I've found that it is helpful to have a list of easy substitutes for when ingredients run low. Plug in or swap out any of the items below based on what foods your pup likes/needs and what you have on hand to create your pup's ideal dog food flavor profile.
Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipe
***It is important to note that dog's can have food allergies too!!! The top 5 (in order) foods that dogs can be allergic to are beef, dairy, wheat, chicken, & egg. If you notice your dog having any issues after ingesting these ingredients you should contact your veterinarian.***
Meat ||Lean ground beef, ground chicken, ground white or dark meat turkey, & ground pork are all great options. Just be sure to make sure that any meat you feed your animals is free of seasonings when purchasing! Dog's living with a kidney disease diagnosis need meals that arelower in phosphorus - so for us a lean ground beef like ground sirloin is best the way to go!
Grains ||Brown rice has all of the fiber from the hull of the rice grain still intact and it's easily digestible, which makes it a great ingredient for homemade dog food! If you are limiting phosphorus in your dog's food due to kidney disease you can use white rice instead. Other grains like oats, quinoa, and even whole grain pastaare also easily digestible options. Gluten grains can be included in a dog's diet too, however it is important to note that gluten is one of the top 5 dog allergens. In our personal experience with Hooch over the years, gluten has been a real problem that causes him extreme gastrointestinal discomfort, so we avoid it.
Two Great, Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipes
Eggs ||Eggs are one of the top 5 allergens for dogs and the yolks are very high in phosphorus -which you want to limit in dog's with kidney disease. But, eggs are also one of the highest quality forms of protein you can feed your pet!Ultimately, a hard-boiled egg is Hooch's favorite thing on the planet so, with our vet's approval, we opted to leave them in his food.
Vegetables || My dogs both really LOVE fresh shredded carrots and fennel, so if I have either of those on hand I use them, but there are LOADS of other great dog-friendly veggies too! Frozen veggie blends that contain peas, corn, carrots, and green beans are a wonderful choice that our dogs love! Cooked sweet potatoes are a great addition to bulk up their meals too, just never feed your dog raw sweet potato as it can cause serious blockages! Canned 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling, is another great addition to your dog's daily meal. A tablespoon or two mixed in at each feeding really ups their fiber intake and can work wonders for your dog's digestive system!
Herbs || Lots of fresh anddried herbs are great for dogs! The curly, not flat-leaf, variety of parsley is greatfor preventative kidney health. It’s cleansing for the organs (which will help prevent disease). However, for a dog with an actual kidney disease diagnosis, you may want to limit their intake of parsley altogether. Herbs like cilantro, thyme, or basil are delicious options for your pup that are loaded with health benefits too!
Diy: Most Loved Healthy Homemade Dog Food • Where's The Frenchie?
Oil || You will want to drizzle a few tablespoons of oil that is high in Omega 3's into each batch of dog food you make. I usually just stick with olive oil or safflower oil because I typically have them on hand and they are affordable. There are great Omega oil blends available on the market too that contain Omega's 3, 6, & 9 but they tend to be a bit pricier.
Dog's with kidney disease are in need of hydrating fluids wherever they can get them! The benefit of feeding food that is saturated instead of dry is that the kidneys won't have to work as hard to perform their normal function in the body.
There are lots of ways to add more liquid to your pup's meals. Obviously, a bit of water mixed in is one option, but we prefer hydrating with a liquid that adds nutritional value as well.
Puppy Recipe Dry Dog Food
Bone broth recipes for dogs should be very different than those for humans!Dog's cannot eat certain ingredients that are typically used in bone broth for humans like onions.
This recipe is full of dog-friendly ingredients like apples, ginger, and mushrooms and can be made on the stove, in the Instant Pot, or slow cooker!
You can hydrate your dog's food while also boosting their immune system, improving liver health, supporting healthy digestion, and helping to relieve joint pain by adding homemade bone broth to your dog's daily meals.
Puppy & Junior Recipe
Our bone broth delivers on the nutritional benefits of a homemade broth in a convenient powder form and is used to re-hydrate dry food, or as a simple, nourishing drink.
Unlike most pet food, which is feed grade, this 100% human-grade goat milk from The Honest Kitchen is made with human-grade ingredients and produced in a human food facility. That means higher quality ingredients and more safety standards, just like you would expect from your own food!
This will vary from dog to dog, but a general rule of thumb isfor every 10 lbs your dog weighs theyshould be fed roughly 1 cup of prepared food.
Puppy Large Breed Lamb Meal & Brown Rice Recipe
For our 80 lb Hooch, that means 2 meals a day each containing 4 cups of food. It is important to note that, dogs with kidney problems often feel better when fedseveral small mealsthroughout the day rather than just one or two large meals, so you may find that you need to adjust your feeding schedule as time goes on accordingly to keep your pup comfy!
Our dogs walk a bit on the wild side when it comes to snacks as they love thin apple slices, banana chunks, carrots,
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