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. Updated 2/25/2025 for better page speed.***
Our Journey with a Dog with Kidney Disease
When we found out our fur baby Hooch had kidney disease, we immediately dove headfirst into figuring out how to help our dog with kidney disease and learned some seriously eye-opening stuff along the way.
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 because 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 decide 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.
Now, let's break down the recipe for my Easy Homemade Dog Food shall we?
The recipe box below contains a printable version of my go-to recipe for homemade dog food, which consists 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.
***It is important to note that dogs 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! Dogs living with a kidney disease diagnosis need meals that are lower 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 pasta are 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.
Can Dogs Eat Brown Rice? Homemade Meals That Your Pups Will Love!
Many dog owners wonder: can dogs eat brown rice? I have all the answers, nutritious facts, and recipes for you here!
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 dogs 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.
Can Dogs Eat Eggs? The Incredible, Edible, Treat All Dogs Love!
Not only CAN dogs eat eggs, they absolutely SHOULD! A moderate daily amount of egg in addition to a regular diet can greatly improve a dog's health.
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 and dried herbs are great for dogs! The curly, not flat-leaf, variety of parsley is great for 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!
Homemade Dog Food Seasoning
It's no secret that fresh herbs and spices are beneficial to a person's health and diet, but did you know that your dog's diet could benefit from them too!?
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.
Hydration is VERY important for dogs with kidney disease.
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.
Dog-Friendly Bone Broth Recipe
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.
How much and when should you feed your dog?
This will vary from dog to dog, but a general rule of thumb is for every 10 lbs your dog weighs they should be fed roughly 1 cup of prepared food.
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 fed several small meals throughout 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!
What kind of snacks can I feed my dog with kidney disease?
Our dogs walk a bit on the wild side when it comes to snacks as they love thin apple slices, banana chunks, carrots, whole unsalted peanuts in the husks, and dehydrated sweet potatoes! Dog's with kidney disease should avoid meat-based chews/treats that are high in phosphorus, so you may find that you need to explore doing friendly fruit and veggies for treats like we have. We still on occasion will offer Hooch bully sticks or a jerky treat, but it is better for him if we limit his intake due to the levels of phosphorous that those treats contain.
If you’ve made our Easy Homemade Dog Food for your pup I would be so grateful if you would rate the recipe and let me know what you think in the comments below! I just love hearing from you and your reviews and comments really help others that visit This Mess is Ours.
Want to be a part of our online community outside of the blog? It’s easy!! All you have to do is follow @THISMESSISOURS on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER, YOUTUBE, or PINTEREST.
PrintEasy Homemade Dog Food
To make prepping this homemade dog food a cinch and to save LOTS of time and dishes in the process I like to cook the hard boiled eggs and the rice in my Instant Pot!
I start with cooking the eggs first, then while the rice is cooking the Instant Pot I brown the sirloin and get all of the fresh ingredients together. It really does help make the process of meal prepping homemade dog food so much easier!
See recipe notes for Instant Pot cooking tips and times!
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 13 cups 1x
- Category: gluten free
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: homemade dog food
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
6 cups cooked organic brown rice (3 cups uncooked rice)
2 pounds ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
4 hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
3 medium sized carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
¼ cup minced curly parsley
3 tablespoons of olive or safflower oil
Instructions
Combine all of the ingredients together in a large container and stir to combine completely.
Store tightly sealed in the refrigerator in-between feedings.
Notes
The amount of food you feed your dog each day varies by weight. Our 80+ pound senior dog Hooch eats 4 cups of this food twice per day and our 40 pound Rebel eats 2 cups of food twice per day.
This food can be individually portioned out for smaller dogs and frozen to store for longer periods of time than a week. Just thaw the amount you need when you need it.
Metric measurements:
790 grams cooked organic brown rice
700 grams ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
4 (200 grams) hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
207 grams carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
14 grams minced curly parsley
22 grams of olive or safflower oil
Instant Pot Hard Boiled Eggs: Place the metal trivet into the Instant Pot and add 1 cup of water. Add uncooked eggs on top of the trivet. Place the lid on top, lock to sealing, and cook high pressure for 5 minutes. Release pressure valve manually at the end of the cooking time and carefully remove the hard boiled eggs to a water bath to cool.
Instant Pot Rice: Combine the desired amount of rice and water in an Instant Pot. Place the lid on and set the pressure to sealing. Select the rice function, allow the pressure to release naturally when the cook time is complete.
No fresh parsley? You can substitute it in this recipe with ¼ cup of our Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 288
- Sugar: 1.9 g
- Sodium: 119.7 mg
- Fat: 10.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 24 g
- Protein: 22.9 g
- Cholesterol: 197.8 mg
Want to see more of the delicious homemade dog food recipes we make for our dogs?
Home Made Dog Food recipe for the Holidays
This 100% human grade home made dog food recipe utilizes some of the best fall produce for your dog like sweet potatoes, cranberries, rosemary, and sage. It's perfect for every day feedings and does double duty as a really delicious holiday meal for your dog!
Pumpkin and Yogurt Bowl for Dogs Recipe
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for all of us, even our dogs! Get your dog's day off to a great start with a healthy dose of protein, vitamins, and minerals by feeding him/her a delicious Pumpkin and Yogurt Bowl for Dogs. These yogurt bowls are filled with good for your dog ingredients like fat free Greek yogurt, 100% pure pumpkin puree, plant based vitamin and mineral powder, and my Homemade Dog Food Seasoning which is a blend of 5 herbs that have extraordinary health benefits for your dog!
Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend recipe
It's no secret that fresh herbs and spices are beneficial to a person's health and diet, but did you know that your dog's diet could benefit from the addition of them also!? In the summer months, it's easy to include green leafy herbs like parsley and basil in our dog's fresh homemade food because I have lots growing in the garden. But, when fresh herbs are sparse I turn to my spice cabinet where I keep a little jar of spices labeled 'Homemade Dog Food Seasoning Blend'. This easy to make custom spice blend combines dried parsley, basil, dill, rosemary, and oregano for a seasoning blend your dog is sure to love!
We aren't the only people that have converted to making homemade dog food and are LOVING the results! Check out the links below for more homemade dog food recipes your pup will LOVE!
Easy Crockpot Dog Food from Damn Delicious || This simple homemade dog food recipe combines ground beef, brown rice, kidney beans, butternut squash, carrots, and peas in the slow cooker so you can set it and forget it!
Homemade Dog Food Recipe from College Housewife || Elizabeth's sweet dog Rascal suffered from all sorts of health issues which led them to having him allergy tested. Turns out Rascal was allergic to all sorts of things - even beef! So, Elizabeth developed a homemade dog food recipe that is just perfect for Rascal's sensitive belly that is filled with ground turkey, sweet potatoes, carrots, and zucchini squash and macaroni noodles!
DIY Homemade Dog Food from Damn Delicious ||Chungah's dog Butter's battle with stomach issues led her to start making dog food at home. This recipe is easy to make and super good for your pups too! It combines a delicious blend of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains and is made of ingredients like ground chicken, brown rice, shredded zucchini, spinach, carrots, and peas.
Christie Berlin says
I'm so excited to try this for my sweet Kaia girl. She is a LARGE Shepherd/Collie mix. Just turned 10, and I am learning that kibble is just not a great food, I'd hate to have to eat it. If I subbed frozen peas, carrots etc, what size bag would I grab for the carrots in your recipe? I'm thrilled to have found your site. Thank you.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Christie! So happy to have you here - what exactly are you subbing the frozen peas with? That will help me determine the amount.
Sherry K says
Thank you for the recipe! When you make enough for a few days, do you serve it straight from the fridge or do you heat it up a bit in the microwave?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Sherry - I serve this straight from the fridge.
IH tanjir says
"This easy homemade dog food recipe is a fantastic way to ensure your furry friend gets a nutritious and delicious meal made with love. It's simple to prepare, and you can customize it to suit your dog's dietary needs. Your pup will thank you with wagging tails and happy barks!"
Cheryl says
I’ve been feeding my dog this recipe but sub 1c of quinoa for 1 cup of rice. I’m also giving her Dog Greens with every meal. How often do you feed this recipe to your dogs? Do you sub the protein every other week or mainly this recipe? So far so good! She loves it! I’m just curious if your dogs mainly sticks with this or if you rotate several recipes. Thank you!
My pup is 8yrs old and I’m feeding her 4 cups per day. She’s about 50lbs but could use to loose a few lbs. I’ll adjust for more if needed. Also, any tips for making in bulk?
Eliza Clendenin says
I’m so glad to hear that your pup is enjoying the recipe and that it’s working well for her! It’s great that you’re also incorporating Dog Greens into her meals—it’s a nice addition for added nutrients.
For feeding, I typically offer this recipe daily but do like to rotate proteins and other ingredients to keep things varied and balanced. Rotating recipes can help ensure your dog gets a wide range of nutrients and can prevent any potential issues with food sensitivity or boredom.
Since your dog is around 50 lbs and could stand to lose a few pounds, adjusting the portion size is a good idea. Monitor her weight and adjust as needed to ensure she’s staying healthy.
When it comes to making food in bulk, here are a few tips:
Batch Cooking: Prepare large batches and freeze individual portions. You can use freezer-safe containers or bags to make serving and thawing easier.
Storage: Store the food in an airtight container or vacuum-sealed bags to maintain freshness.
Defrosting: When defrosting, do it gradually in the fridge to ensure the food stays safe and retains its nutritional value.
Mamma5 says
Is the parsley cooked or dried?? Sorry if my question sounds dumb... I read u said don't give to them raw ....
Eliza Clendenin says
No worries at all—your question isn’t dumb! Parsley should be added to your dog’s food in its dried form, not raw. Raw parsley can be hard for dogs to digest and may lead to digestive issues. Dried parsley is much easier on their stomachs and still provides the beneficial nutrients.
Holly says
This recipe/blog has a lot of great insights & ideas! I tried it with my 80lb German Shepherd and my 20 lb Jack Russell. My German Shepard loved it! My Jack Russell loved the taste but ended up having to use the bathroom several times and I’m pretty sure it’s because he not used to eggs & carrots so for now I’ll be omitting those for him. Regardless, this is so informative & awesome! We plan on continuing it as an every few days supplement for my German Shepherd!! And I cannot wait to make these treats & bone broth! Thank you so much !
Tammy Neese says
Made tonight and my dog loves this! I was concerned about just switching his kibble with this fresh food so I used 2 cups of his regular food and added 1 cup fresh. If I was going to use this as a mix in while I finish the 50 pound bag I currently have if his food, what would you recommend? He usually gets 3 cups of dry food per day. He LOVED this food. Easy to make. Thank you.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Tammy! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and sharing your experience! I’m thrilled to hear that your dog loved it. It's a great idea to gradually mix fresh food with his regular kibble, especially when transitioning to a new diet.
Since he usually gets 3 cups of dry food per day, a good starting point would be to gradually increase the proportion of fresh food over time. You could start with a ratio of 2 cups kibble to 1 cup fresh food for the first few days, then adjust to 1.5 cups kibble and 1.5 cups fresh food for a few days, and eventually aim for a balance that works best for him. Always keep an eye on his overall health and energy levels as you make these changes, and feel free to adjust based on his needs.
So glad to hear it was easy to make, and your furry friend loved it! If you have any more questions or need further advice, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Tracy Sweet says
I have a mixed feeling about the bone broth. I have always been told that mushrooms are a nightshade and therefore should never be ingested by animals of any type, that it would create organ failure. Would you be better off not using bone broth and go with just beef or chicken or turkey or even vegetable?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Tracy! Thanks so much for your comment! I totally get where you’re coming from—there’s a lot of information out there, and it can be hard to know what’s best for our furry friends. But don't worry, mushrooms aren’t actually nightshades. Nightshades are a different group of plants, including things like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. Mushrooms are fungi, and certain varieties are safe for dogs when prepared properly.
That said, the key is always to ensure the mushrooms and any other ingredients are safe for your pet. The bone broth recipe I shared uses ingredients that are dog-friendly, but you can absolutely skip the mushrooms or replace them with just chicken, beef, turkey, or even vegetable broth if you prefer. The main goal is to keep it healthy and beneficial for your dog. I always recommend checking with your vet before making any big changes to your pet’s diet just to be on the safe side!
k says
I see no mention of the arsenic in the brown rice?
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you for your comment and for bringing this up! Arsenic in rice, especially brown rice, is definitely something to be aware of. While this recipe includes rice, you can always switch it up with other grains like quinoa or oats if you're concerned about arsenic levels. When it comes to brown rice, I recommend rinsing it thoroughly before cooking and choosing rice grown in areas known to have lower arsenic levels, like California. I'm all about making sure our furry friends get the healthiest meals possible, so I really appreciate your input!
Barb says
Just a quick question. We want to switch our dogs off of store bought dog food. On the beef, what is considered lean enough for the recipe? Does it need to be more than 85% lean? Thank you for your help 🙂
I'm looking forward to trying these recipes for our 3 dogs, but we would need to feed 11.5 cups daily between the 3 of them, so I would need 14 pounds of meat a week, with about 4 days worth of leftover food for them at the end of each month. Of, course these would be divided up into daily portion sizes and the rest frozen to preserve. I would make two weeks to a month at a time to save time 😀
Eliza Clendenin says
Great question! For the beef in the dog food recipe, using ground beef that's at least 85% lean is a good benchmark. This helps ensure your dogs get a nutritious meal without too much fat. If you can find 90% lean or higher, even better, but 85% lean should work well!
It sounds like you’ve got a solid plan for prepping and portioning the food for your pups. Making larger batches and freezing them is a fantastic way to save time while keeping your dogs fed with wholesome homemade meals. If you have any more questions or need additional tips, feel free to reach out!
Anonymous says
Carol Robbins says
Help! I am cooking a whole 6 lb chicken in the crockpot, rubbed with olive oil and added your spice blend (edited 2 teas basil, 1 teas rosemary, 1 teas oregano and 1 teas dillweed, ground dry ingredients in coffee grinder), which I spread under the skin and on top of skin, added 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth. I typically cut up and freeze the chicken in individual packages and freeze the leftover broth in ice trays so I can add one or two when I thaw my dog's food. (I also add a cube of vegetables that has been frozen as well). My question is, are these amounts of herbs safe for my dog in this equation? He is a 10 lb chiyuayua/jack russell mix. Your thoughts would be appreciated.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi there! I’m so glad to hear you’re using the spice blend for your chicken and making homemade dog food—what a thoughtful idea for your furry friend!
Regarding the herbs you’ve added, basil, rosemary, oregano, and dillweed are generally safe for dogs in small amounts. However, it's always a good idea to keep the quantities minimal and ensure that your dog doesn't have any specific sensitivities or allergies. For a 10 lb chihuahua/jack russell mix, the amounts you're using should be fine, especially since you’re using them in moderation and mixing them with other ingredients.
Just to be extra cautious, if your dog has any pre-existing health conditions or dietary restrictions, you might want to check with your vet to confirm that these herbs are suitable for their diet. Your approach of freezing the broth and vegetables sounds fantastic for providing nutritious and convenient meals!
Whit Hoffman says
My husband and I wanted to switch our dogs to homemade food, especially because of their allergies and yeast infections, but were worried it would be too difficult. Then we found your recipe. Both dogs absolutely love it, and it couldn’t be easier.
Kimberly E Griffin says
Hi,
I'm looking forward to trying this out on my little guy!! Question- what is the green powder you added? Also - is bone broth good to add? And ok to blend this? Thank you!!!
Eliza Clendenin says
Thanks for your comment! The green powder you see in the recipe is a nutrient-packed superfood supplement that can boost the health benefits of homemade dog food. It usually contains ingredients like spirulina or chlorella, which are great for adding extra vitamins and minerals.
Bone broth is a fantastic addition! It’s not only flavorful but also adds some great nutrients to the mix. Just make sure it’s free of any added salt or seasonings, and it should be a wonderful enhancement.
Blending is an option if you want a smoother consistency. Just keep in mind that it might affect the texture a bit, so you might need to adjust the amount of liquid or dry ingredients to get the right balance.
Anonymous says
This is a wonderful recipe that I have been feeding my dog who was always a picky eater, but loves this food! Just a question about the ground beef. Does it call for 2 pounds of raw ground beef that you then cook? Or is it you cook ground beef so it makes 2 cooked pounds of it?
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you so much for your kind words! I’m thrilled to hear that your dog is enjoying the recipe.
To answer your question, the recipe calls for 2 pounds of raw ground beef, which you’ll cook as part of the process. This will yield approximately 2 pounds of cooked ground beef. Cooking it yourself ensures that it’s fresh and free from any added ingredients that might not be ideal for your furry friend.
Joyce says
I have a 4 1/2 month old golden retriever. I made this today and it looks great but it's a lot for my puppy right now. Can I freeze this in individual servings?
Thanks,
Joyce
meg@thismessisours says
Yes you can absolutely freeze into individual portions.
Milly says
Hi, I have a 13 year old Havanese. I have been feeding her kibble since she was a puppy. She is always itchy, licking paws and anxious. Looking for a homemade alternative for her. I was happy to see that your recipe is ground beef as I believe she might have at allergy to grains and chicken. My question for you is… can I make the brown rice with beef broth or veggie broth store bought or does it have to be a special one? Thank you! 🙏🏻
Eliza Clendenin says
I’m glad to hear you’re considering a homemade alternative for your Havanese! The itchy paws and anxiety can be tough to deal with, so finding the right food is a great step.
You can absolutely use store-bought beef or veggie broth to make the brown rice for the recipe. Just make sure to choose a broth that doesn’t contain any onions or garlic, as these can be harmful to dogs. Low-sodium options are also a good choice to avoid excess salt. If you have any doubts about the ingredients, you can always opt for a simple homemade broth or just cook the rice in water.
Jeanie Goldberg says
Love your recipe but I do cook organs like liver etc. based on your recipe how much calcium would you add to your recipe I do grind the egg shells to a powder but not sure how much to add to the food. Plus should I mix it all in or just add as a topper mixed. Thank you.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi there! I’m thrilled to hear you love the recipe! When it comes to adding calcium, it’s great that you’re using ground egg shells. Generally, a good starting point is to add about 1/2 teaspoon of ground egg shell per cup of food. This amount should help ensure your dog is getting a good balance of calcium without overdoing it.
As for mixing it in, I recommend incorporating the calcium into the food rather than just using it as a topper. Mixing it thoroughly ensures that the calcium is evenly distributed throughout the meal, which is more beneficial for your dog’s overall health.
Feel free to adjust the amount based on your dog's specific needs and consult with your vet for personalized advice!
Diane Von Bargen says
Instead of hard boiled eggs, is it ok to scramble the eggs?
meg@thismessisours says
Absolutely, just don't season the eggs or use a lot of oil. Olive oil is a great choice to cook the eggs in should you need it.
Jason McBain says
My dog Betty is a rescue who was just feed biscuits a bit of wet food at the shelter and wanted to start feeding her something more than boring biscuits and this recipe must be doing her goo as she bounces around for her morning/evening feeds.She has grown from a skeletal mess into something resembling more herself.
meg@thismessisours says
Awww Jason, that is so wonderful to hear! I am so happy for Betty she found a wonderful forever home with you.
Kelly says
I have two 15 months old German Shepherds that are cannot stand kibble and will refuse it. My girl Jade lost 10 lbs. I cannot find one they will not turn there noses up to. I just finished preparing this recipe and looked to see the serving amount. My eyes got real large when I saw 4 cups a day. They both weigh 70lbs. I guess the shock was because kibble is such a small serving as it "expands" in their stomach. Our vet says stay at 20% protein. I shouldn't assume however I'm guessing that's per serving or meal? I will call and double check. Just wanted to let you know I had 2 very interested puppies under my feet the entire time while I was cooking for them, they are drooling and begging for a meal. I'm transitioning them off of what I consider "evil kibble" so will begin with maybe a half a cup? I'm clueless but will get this worked out. Praise God for wonderful, loving fur moms like you. I can't stop digging around your website for more recipes to spoil my baby girls with healthy and delicious food they won't run away from. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 💙
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you so much for your lovely comment and for sharing a bit about your German Shepherds! It’s fantastic to hear that Jade and your other pup are so excited about the recipe.
I understand your concern about the serving size. The 4 cups a day is a general guideline, but it’s important to adjust based on your dogs' specific needs and their current weight. Since your girls are each 70 lbs, starting with a smaller portion as you transition from kibble is a great idea. You might want to start with about 1/4 to 1/2 cup per meal and gradually increase it while monitoring their weight and overall health.
It’s also wise to follow up with your vet to make sure the protein content and overall diet fit your dogs' nutritional needs. The 20% protein recommendation should be looked at in the context of their total daily intake.
I’m thrilled you’re finding the recipes helpful! Feel free to explore more of our dog food recipes and let me know if you have any more questions. Your dedication to your pups is truly heartwarming, and I’m so glad we can be a part of their journey to a healthier diet.
Phil says
Hi, I am fan of this recipe but have concerns about it meeting all of the nutritional requirements for a dog set by the AAFCO. Can you tell me if there is a way to determine if this diet meets those standards? Thanks!
Summer Dickerhoof says
Absolutely! This recipe was made in collaboration with our vet, so it meets the needs of our dog with kidney disease. This might not be the diet that works for every dog, so I always say to check with your vet before trying to be sure that it will be beneficial for your pup!
Sarai says
Hi Summer,
I’m also curious about this recipe meeting all the vitamins/minerals a dog needs daily. Do you give your dogs any supplements? I’ve been making homemade dog food that’s similar to your recipe but when I’ve used BalanceIt.com, it says without extra vitamins there are quite a few deficiencies.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Sarai,
We do give our dogs a supplement called Dog Greens- Organic and Wild Harvested Vitamin and Mineral Supplement for Dogs which we purchase from Amazon. We have used it since 2019 and have had great results. Hope this helps!
Kim C. says
Our Max, an older hound stray, has been with us for four months and every day has been a struggle to get him to eat canned or kibble food. This week I found and made your recipe and WOW! It’s such a relief to see him enjoy his food and such a weight off my mind. The batch took little time to make too. Thank you SO much for allowing us to benefit from your research.
Summer Dickerhoof says
Of course! Happy that you found it useful!
Anonymous says
I totally agree. I rescued my dog in January off the street. He has refused to eat any type of dog food. I finally started doing a raw diet, but his poop was looking kinda funky and his breath started to smell, which told me something wasn’t right. Switched to this and he loves it. It does kinda seem like he isn’t really always digesting the rice. But aside from that, he’s fine!
Lisa M says
I have a 11 months old shih Tsu about 8.5 pounds . How much should I feed him per day?
If your 40 pounds dog gets 2 cups twice a day should my puppy get 1/2 cup twice a day total 1 cup plus some of his kibble food which is always available for him?
Thank you
Summer Dickerhoof says
Just to be safe, check with your vet to see what the perfect amount is for your pup!
Mark, Tim & Boss says
I was searching the web because I wanted to give my dog Boss, a Red Healer who is a little fussy, something different, something healthy and I came across this recipe. When I saw the herbs being sprinkled generously, I was a bit unsure if Boss would ever like this taste added but I followed it to the end and served it to my him. Well I'll be! He ate it all. I had to give him another cup full and that too went down a treat. The next day I served a small portion for breakfast and he just loved it. I have made this now every second week and he just loves it so much. Thank you for providing such a recipe with interesting texture and flavour - For us it's a Five Star Winner. Mark, Tim and Boss.
Summer Dickerhoof says
This is so great to hear!
Eric says
Hi we’re excited about this recipe and appreciate your diligence in preparing it, I’m confused about the 6 cups cooked rice then the 3 cups uncooked rice.? A you also say 790 grams of cooked rice which is 3 cups, just want to be sure I’m making the correct amount of rice, do I cook 6 cups and add 3 cups uncooked to the dish? Thanks again Eric
Summer Dickerhoof says
Great question! Once you cook 3 cups of uncooked rice, it will puff up and be 6 cups when it is fully cooked!
DOLLY OAKLEY says
Is it ok to use white rice, instead of brown?
meg@thismessisours says
Yes you totally can!
Sabrina says
White rice has no nutritional value. When they take the brown rice to make it white rice they strip all the nutrients from it. It’s just a filler. I don’t eat white rice because of this & I won’t give it to my dogs either.
Catie says
Hi!
Is there anything you would recommend to replace the hard boiled eggs? My dog seems to be sensitive to them. Should I add more meat to supplement the protein?
Thanks!
Summer Dickerhoof says
It is okay to omit them completely if your dog is sensitive. Thanks for your comment!
dogcounsel says
Thank you for sharing your personal experience and this wonderful homemade dog food recipe! It's inspiring to see how you took proactive steps to improve your dog's health after the diagnosis. I appreciate the tips on filtered water, increased exercise, and the importance of vitamins. I can't wait to try this recipe for my furry friend
Summer Dickerhoof says
You're welcome! I am happy to hear you enjoyed reading the posts!
dogcounsel says
This homemade dog food recipe sounds amazing! It's wonderful to see how much effort and research you've put into providing your dog with a nutritious and wholesome diet. However, as you mentioned, it's important for dog owners to consult with their veterinarians to ensure that the specific dietary needs of their pets are being met.
dogcounsel says
This homemade dog food recipe has been a game-changer for my furry friend! He's never been healthier and happier. Highly recommend giving it a try!
dogcounsel says
"This homemade dog food recipe sounds wonderful! It's inspiring to see pet owners prioritizing their furry friends' health and well-being by opting for fresh, nutritious ingredients. While consulting with a veterinarian is crucial, this approach to feeding our beloved pups is definitely worth exploring for those seeking a healthier alternative to processed kibble."
Whitney says
My dog was recently diagnosed with cancer. And we started her on this homemade dog food today with a Chinese medicine supplements. She loved this recipe so much. She didn’t hesitate. For those concerned about calcium. The blogger writes about bone broth. 1 cup of homemade bone broth contains 9-14 gram. I love the eggshell recommendation as well. My dog also loves beef liver and she loves bone marrow from the freezer section at the pet store.
I can’t wait to try the other recipes ♥️♥️
Summer Dickerhoof says
So happy to hear this!
Catie says
Hello! I’ve been feeding my dogs this recipe for the last 2 weeks and already noticed a big difference with my dogs! They seem healthier and happier. I think one of my dogs might be sensitive to the hard boiled eggs though, so I was thinking of leaving them out next time. Is there anything that I should substitute in place of the eggs? Thanks!
Paulina says
I see it says in the list 6 cups of cooked rice and 3 cups uncooked ? why the 3 cups of uncooked and should this be added after all the food is mixed
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Paulina!
The note for the 3 cups of uncooked rice is for how much rice you will need to cook to make the 6 cups of cooked rice!
Hope this helps!
Amy Myers says
This diet does not include enough calcium in the basic recipe or in the Dog Greens Supplement.... Dogs need high levels of calcium... and best case, organ meats. Raw and cooked homemade dog food is great, but make sure you give them raw meaty bones and or the right levels of calcium. https://www.whole-dog-journal.com/food/calcium-in-homemade-dog-food/
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Amy!
We also believe that our dogs should get the standard amount of calcium. We use our homemade eggshell powder to top off our dogs food per our vets recommendations!
https://thismessisours.com/can-dogs-eat-eggs/
We hope this helps!
Sonia says
Hi 👋🏻 I am definitely going to try this recipe out as my dog is also dealing with Kidney health issues. I have a question though, when you take the food out of the fridge do you reheat it? If so, what method do you use for that? Thanks you 😊
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Sonia,
We do not reheat our dogs food when we feed it to them. The only time that they are given warm food is when it is dog food night and we make it fresh.
I hope this helps!
Kim says
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your experience and recipes. I have 2 standard poodles that are having allergy problems and continual ear infections. We have decided to feed homemade dog food.
I see you mentioned not to mix raw diet with cooked diet. Can I feed Raw meat bones with a cooked diet? I want to make sure my dogs are getting enough calcium.
Thanks,
Kim
Don says
I've been making my 80lb Golden's food for several years following the JustFoodForDogs (JFFD) protocol. I roughed out the numbers for a 30 day supply of food and preparing your recipe comes to approximately $325.00/month vs $168.00/month for JFFD. JFFD offers many options including chicken/rice and
ground beef/potato. Big difference in price. Am I missing something?
Also, your sample recipe only makes 1 1/2 days worth of food for Hooch so I'm curious how much time to you spend in the kitchen to prepare 240 cups of food/month.
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you for your comment and for taking the time to crunch the numbers! You bring up a great point about the cost comparison between homemade dog food and JFFD. The prices can indeed vary significantly, and it’s essential to consider both cost and time when making decisions about your dog's diet.
The recipe provided is indeed a sample and designed for a small batch to give readers an idea of how easy it can be to make homemade dog food. For preparing larger quantities like 240 cups a month, it does take a bit more time and planning. If you decide to go the homemade route, you might consider making larger batches and freezing portions to save time. It can be a bit of a time investment upfront but may pay off in the long run if you find it suits your needs better.
As for the cost difference, homemade dog food can sometimes be pricier depending on the ingredients you use. However, there are ways to adjust the recipe or find cost-effective sources for ingredients. It might also be worth exploring bulk purchases or local farmer’s markets for better prices on high-quality ingredients.
Carri says
I saw this recipe about a yr ago when my 13 yr old Chihuahua, Bella,was diagnosed with stage 3 CKD. The vet insisted we stay on a kibble diet and I started doing hours of research. I found something from a company that's human grade and I still have to make it. 6mos. later, her 12yr old, Scout, was diagnosed with Valley fever and lost 1/2 of he body weight. Scout has been on you recipe for six months and her titer test has improved 50% and she has gained the majority of her wt back. She looks better, feels better and is her old self again. Bella's kidney numbers on the other hand, show that she is now stage 4( and still not on your recipe.) My questions...
1. Is this recipe for CKD or is it modified to be for dogs in general?
2. I'm curious if you add a multi vitamin to this recipe?
3.what other changes did you make to help Hooch?
I'm not looking for miracles, just want to keep my girls healthy and happy. It would be nice to be able to feed both girls the same recipe and only modify the protein portion for each.
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you so much for sharing Bella and Scout's story with us. I'm so glad to hear that Scout is doing better with the recipe and has regained her weight—what a relief!
To address your questions:
Is this recipe for CKD or is it modified to be for dogs in general?
The recipe is designed to be a general, balanced meal for dogs. However, it's always best to consult with your vet for specific dietary needs, especially for conditions like CKD. They might suggest modifications based on Bella's specific requirements.
Do you add a multi-vitamin to this recipe?
I recommend discussing this with your vet as well. Adding a multi-vitamin can be beneficial depending on your dog's overall diet and health condition. Your vet can suggest a suitable supplement if needed.
What other changes did you make to help Hooch?
While the recipe is a good starting point, incorporating additional adjustments might help depending on Hooch's condition. For example, managing protein levels and ensuring the diet is appropriate for their specific health condition can be crucial. Again, consulting with your vet will provide the best guidance tailored to Hooch's needs.
It's great that you're so dedicated to keeping Bella and Scout happy and healthy. I hope this helps, and please feel free to reach out if you have any more questions or need further advice!
Ashley says
Hello! What do you recommend subbing for the eggs? Thank you!
Summer Dickerhoof says
I don't have a suggestion off the top of my head, but check with your vet to see what a healthy alternative could be for your pup!
Anna says
Hi there,
Thanks so much for this great recipe! Just confirming, are the metric measurements for the food to be weighed AFTER they are cooked? I want to make sure I am giving my dog the correct proportions. Thank you!
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Anna!
Yes, we measure out the food for each pup after all the food is cooked & combined together.
Holly says
Hello 🙂 do you have any suggestions as to what I could substitute the rice with please? My dog can’t have any grains. Thank you.
Summer Dickerhoof says
I have not created a recipe with an alternative. I would check with your vet and see if they have any suggestions!
Amy Myers says
Please, please, please check out dogs' calcium requirements. Dogs need a calcium rich diet...far greater than humans. In the Dogs Greens Supplement and your dog food recipe I don't see calcium addressed!!!!! This is critical for their bones, teeth, and general health. Dogs also need organ meats, but by far the most important thing is to get the calcium right...
Rob says
I have a 30 lb cockerpoo who is a very picky eater. I feed him a 1/2 cups of a high quality dry food and mix a half a can of wet food daily. How much of the home made recipe would you mix in daily. He would much rather have human food mixed in with his dry than canned dog food. I often mix his food with our leftover chicken, beef, pork and sweet potato and he loves it.
Summer Dickerhoof says
I am sure he would love this recipe! To know the best amount of food for your dog specifically, I would ask your vet and see what they recommend.
Denise Daly says
How long does it stay fresh in the fridge? 1week?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Denise!
Yes, it will stay fresh for about a week in the fridge!
Tristin Lee says
I have 2 maltipoos and one 10 year old standard poodle. I have been making their dog food with organic meat, rice, carrots oats, cauliflower and broccoli.
I use 6 ups of veggies to 3 lbs of meat, and 2 cups of rice.
I am not sure they are getting what they need or maybe my portions are wrong.
Should I add anything else. Am I using too much of something. I thought I would eggs, but not sure about portions. I need help.
Do you make food for people like me.
Eliza Clendenin says
Wow! Your dogs are lucky to have you! We do not make food for others, but our dogs love this recipe! Before starting this diet we highly recommend talking with your vet before changing your dogs current diet or adding anything to it!
I hope this helps!!
Alex S. says
When you say 1 cup per 10 pounds, does that mean in a day? Thank you! I made my dog homemade food yesterday and he's already loving it!
Eliza Clendenin says
Correct!
Hooch is 80 pounds so he gets 8 cups a day & Rebel is 60 pounds so she gets 6 cups a day!
Marisa says
Thank you so much for such valuable information. I love my dog and started making food for him that I mix with his dog food. I haven’t switched him 100% to the homemade food yet. Instead of cooking his food on the stove, i mix all the ingredients and make it into meatballs or meatloaf (saves time) and cook them in the oven. Once cooled, I freeze in serving-size portions. Do you think baking the food and then freezing it will make the food lose its nutrients? I’m definitely going to try your recipe for him. He’s our baby and deserves the best!
Ashley Friend says
Also interested in freezing… would it be safe to freeze and still get the same nutrients?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Ashley! Yes you can totally freeze this dog food!
Wendy Browne says
Do you not have a calcium source that you add? I also pressure cook my Boston Terrier's food and cycle through different proteins including small fish, chicken paw and chicken frames to add calcium and noticed only the greens supplement suggested vs a premix or homemade diet supplement.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Wendy!
We do have a calcium source that we add! We make an eggshell calcium powder (link is on the website) from the eggshells from the hardboiled eggs!
Erin says
Thank you for this great info! Our 11.5 year old lab/pitbull mix (also 80 lbs.) is having some motility issues - throwing up undigested kibble 10-12 hours after eating. After taking him to the vet with no underlying issue determined, I have switched him over to a homemade diet and feed 3x per day. I have gotten pretty efficient with this - crockpot for chicken, once chicken is done cooking I put the rice in the chicken water and cook on low, I use the remnants of my carrot and celery in his food when I make myself juice, and a food processor is an absolute must! He's keeping his food down and seems to be much more lively. Thank you for the portion recommendations. I was having a hard time finding the sweet spot.
Kerri says
I have two dogs one us 70lb rottie and a King Sheppard who is 110lbs, but he is 20 lbs overweight and 10 years old. How many servings does this recipe make? I have tried all sorts if diets for him and he just isn't loosing. I think this might work.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Kerri!
The number of servings from one batch depends on your dogs weight. With this diets our vet recommended 1 cup per 10 pounds! Between Hooch & Rebel we go through 14 cups a night. I can usually make one batch last 2-3 nights. I highly recommend talking to your vet before starting this diet to make sure it is right for your pup!
Denisse says
Hi,
Thank you for this recipe. I do have a question, I saw in a comment that you feed your dogs 14 cups a day and you make a new batch every 2-3 days, meaning you get between 28-42 cups in one batch since you make it every 2-3 days, but I made a batch today and it gave me 24 cups. I followed the recipe to the tee and I’m using a measuring cup. Please help me figure out what I am doing wrong 🙏🏼
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you for reaching out and for trying out the recipe! I understand how confusing it can be when measurements don’t quite match up.
The discrepancy you're seeing could be due to a few factors:
Measuring Accuracy: Sometimes the way ingredients are measured can affect the final volume. For instance, if ingredients are packed or loosely measured, it can lead to variations.
Ingredient Variability: The type and brand of ingredients used might have slight differences in density, which can affect the total yield.
Cooking and Preparation Method: If the recipe involves cooking or simmering, the volume can reduce as moisture evaporates. Make sure to measure the final product after it's fully cooked and cooled.
If you’re still finding a significant difference, feel free to let me know more details, and I’d be happy to help troubleshoot further. Thanks again for bringing this to my attention, and I hope this helps!
Jaime says
Hi there! Im wondering how long this recipe will stay fresh in the fridge? Thanks, Jaime.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Jamie!
We usually go through one batch every 2-3 days & it seems to hold up just fine by that third day. I would say it should hold for up to a week in the fridge!
Zak says
Is the number of cups per pound a recommended value? When I do the math on my dogs current food, he totals 543 calories a day (actually probably a little less) he is 30lbs. We have been feeding him as a less active dog because our new baby has been causing us to get out a little less.
With 1 cup totaling 288 calories from this recipe, if I were to do a cup per 10 lbs he would be pretty significantly over his normal calorie amount (864 calories) (he has been holding at a healthy 30lbs for years). To match his present calorie value he would need 1.89 cups. Is this generally a recipe/calculation more suited for larger dogs?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Zak!
Congrats on your new baby!!
With this type of diet, it is common to feed a dog 1 cup of food for every 10 pounds. Since you guys are not able to get out as much, I would recommend talking to your vet to get a better answer on the exact amount to feed your dog!
I hope this helps & congratulations again!
Wendy Browne says
Here's the caloric calculator that vets use. I've found it accurate for weight control on my own dogs: https://petnutritionalliance.org/dog.php
Along with reducing calories, you can run the homemade food through a food processer into a paste type fine texture and use it on a lickimat, as the licking actually equates to physical exercise.
Sandi says
A little over two years ago, my small miniature poodle was diagnosed with the beginning stages of kidney disease. I showed my veterinarian the recipe you make and asked if I could try this for Buffy. He gave me the go ahead. Well here we are better then two years later, the kidney disease has not progressed at all. Did I mention that Buffy is almost 18? I usually make two batches at once. One of the ground beef and one of ground chicken or turkey. I portion it out into 1 cup containers and freeze it. She is one happy little girl and I am one very happy pet owner. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Laurel Heidtman says
I have sometimes cooked from scratch for our dogs over the years, and this has motivated me to do so again. This looks even better than the bags of FreshPet I often buy. But I have a question that has nothing to do with the recipe.
Do you know what breed or breeds Hooch is? I was surprised when I saw his pictures because he looks like our Buster (also in the 80 lb. range). Hooch has more white on top of his head than Buster does, but otherwise I wouldn't be able to tell them apart. We live in the woods on private land inside Daniel Boone National Forest, and Buster found our house about 11 years ago after being abandoned by someone who didn't deserve him. So, we have no idea what his parentage is, although I've always guessed Boxer is in there somewhere.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Laurel!
We are not 100% sure what our Hooch is, but we are pretty sure he is a Boxer & German Shepherd mix, at least that's what we were told!
I have only seen a few dogs that look like him, & I am always blown away by it!
We are so sorry that your sweet by was abandoned! Whoever did that to him definitely didn't deserve him! So happy that he now has ya'll as his family! We hope that he loves this food just as much as Hooch does!
Gina says
I just started using your recipe for my 2 small dogs. They absolutely love it! They both have very sensitive stomachs and have frequent diarrhea. The first week I used white rice and they seemed OK. The next batch, I switched to brown rice and I noticed very loose stools. Do you think the brown rice has too much fiber? Also, (sorry to be gross) even though I chop the carrots very fine, I still see a lot of carrot in their stool. Is that normal? Should I try green beans or peas?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Gina!
We are so happy to hear that your dogs love this recipe!
You can use either rice when making this recipe! We always recommend talking with your vet about the ingredients in this recipe if they are making their stomachs upset! Carrots in the stool is 100% normal! No need to be worried! We have given our dogs both peas & green beans & they have loved both, but on a daily basis they are fed green beans.
Hope this helps!
Rebecca says
Just found your Most Excellent site & plan to start making food & home made treats for Khaleesi, my Yorkshire terrier princess. I pay close attention to anything that goes in or on her & question that her high end kibble might be causing skin issues. Started a home delivery service but that’s quite costly. I feel better having control & your site is concise & so helpful in building my confidence. Retired now, have time & tools & want the best for my little lass. Thank you for an informative & generous site. Hugs from Khaleesi & Rebecca
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Rebecca!
We are so happy to hear that this recipe has caught your attention & we hope that Khaleesi will help her skin issues!!!
Erin says
Hi all! I came here all excited to make homemade food because I thought I might save some money while controlling the ingredients. I was really shocked when I saw the volume of food they are fed per day. A cup per 10 lbs of body weight? I am currently feeding my large dogs a pretty pricey limited diet dry food but in doing the math, I'd have to make 15 cups of food a day of sirloin, eggs, veggies, brown rice and omega 3s. That doesn't seem price effective at all. How do you do this for any length of time and actually save money versus? I love my babies and have specifically purchased the grain free, poultry free, etc. food, but really wanted to do more.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Erin!
We buy all of the ingredients in bulk for our dogs at stores such as Sams Club or Costco. We find it to be more cost effective for us. We feed our dogs a total of 14 cups of food a day between the two of them & we typically will make a new batch ever 2-3 days.
Hope this helps.
Eliza
Adina says
Hey there! I have a question about this recipe. I calculated the percentage of protein, and it appears to be only 7.95% protein of total calories. Using your 1 cup serving size of Calories: 288 and Protein 22.9 (22.9x100 divided by 288).
Im cooking for my senior pup who also has kidney issues. From my understanding the pups are supposed to get at least 15-20% calories from protein on the low end. I was wondering what your opinion is and if you've addressed this with your vet? Also just to know for myself. Thanks!
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi there!
Thanks for reaching out and for your thorough calculation! It’s great to see you’re being so attentive to your senior pup’s nutritional needs. You’re absolutely right that protein requirements can be crucial, especially for dogs with specific health conditions like kidney issues.
The protein percentage you’ve calculated seems accurate based on the provided nutritional information. However, for pets with kidney concerns, it’s essential to tailor their diet to their unique needs, which can vary from one individual to another.
I recommend discussing this with your vet to ensure that your pup’s dietary needs are met, especially when dealing with kidney issues. They can offer personalized advice based on your dog’s specific health profile and help you adjust the recipe if needed.
For your own reference, while the recipe provides a good starting point, it’s always best to get professional guidance to address any particular dietary concerns.
Staci says
I have been using extra virgin olive oil in this recipe. Do you recommend using Salmon oil? Or any input on it? I have seen it suggested in a few other recipes online. Thank you so much!!
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Staci!!
We have not tried using Salmon Oil yet, but have heard great things about it! As usual, we always recommend talking with your vet before trying a new oil/diet!
I hope this helps!
Eliza
Valeta says
Her symptoms surfaced a few weeks ago when her symptoms surfaced. I didn't take her to the vet this time, but I went to the Dog food specialty story to get her food and mentioned this issue. The lady there pointed out that the brand we were using had no chicken, but it contained eggs. I had never thought of eggs as chicken. So a light bulb moment. I decided to remove all chicken and poultry foods from her diet, which meant I needed to make it myself. Thank God I found your EASY recipe. She loves it, and it seems to have resolved her symptoms. However, I have a few questions.
1. When I follow your recipe minus the four eggs, I do not get 13 cups of food. (more like 10 cups) do you have any idea why that would be?
2. Why do you recommend curled leaf parsley over Italian leaf? Also, I used dry parsley and cooked it with my rice. Is the dry parsley a problem?
3. Could I use your dog seasoning mix and cook it with our rice to distribute it throughout the recipe?
4. What amounts of other veggies (green beans, canned pumpkin, sweet potatoes...) do you recommend using or switching up the recipe?
5. Since making her food, she has returned to poop eating even though I use a probiotic. When I first got her, this was a bad habit, and I got her to stop by using a probiotic. Yes, I keep up on the poop in the yard and try to pick it up as soon as I see her poop.
5. I feed her 1/2 cup in the a.m. and 1/2 cup in the p.m., but she seems hungry. How do I figure out how much she needs?
Sorry, I know it is a long story. But your thought are very much appreciated.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Valeta!
Thank you for sharing your story and for your kind words about the recipe! I’m so glad to hear that it’s made a difference for your pup. I’m happy to help with your questions:
Yield Difference: The yield of the recipe can vary based on a few factors, like the size of the vegetables and how finely they’re chopped. If you’re using fewer eggs or adjusting ingredient amounts, that can also impact the final volume. You might be using slightly different sizes of cups or measuring the ingredients differently, which can affect the yield. You might also consider adding a bit more of the main ingredients or cooking them down a little less to see if that helps match the volume.
Parsley Types: Curled leaf parsley and Italian leaf parsley are quite similar, but curled leaf parsley is often preferred for its milder flavor and texture, which might be easier on your dog’s digestive system. Dry parsley is fine if that’s what you have on hand, but fresh parsley typically has more nutritional benefits. If you’re cooking the dry parsley with rice, it should still be effective.
Dog Seasoning Mix: Using the dog seasoning mix in the rice is a great idea to ensure even distribution throughout the food. Just be sure to follow the recommended amounts for the seasoning to keep it balanced for your dog’s health.
Veggie Variations: You can definitely switch up the veggies in the recipe! For green beans, you might use about 1 cup, and for canned pumpkin, about 1/2 cup. Sweet potatoes can be used in similar quantities. Just make sure any additions are cooked well and cut into manageable pieces for your dog.
Poop Eating: This can be a tricky issue. Sometimes, even with a probiotic, dogs might revert to old habits. You might want to ensure her diet is balanced and filling. Adding a little extra fiber or considering a different probiotic might help. Also, sometimes dogs eat poop out of boredom or to get attention, so keeping her mentally and physically stimulated can help.
Feeding Amount: The right amount of food can vary based on your dog’s size, age, activity level, and metabolism. A general rule is to feed 1/2 to 1 cup of food per 10 pounds of body weight daily, but you might need to adjust based on her specific needs. If she seems hungry, you can try increasing her portion slightly and monitor her weight and overall health.
I hope this helps! If you have any more questions or need further adjustments, feel free to ask. Thanks again for reaching out!
Jeff says
Do you include raw veggies or cooked?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Jeff!
We usually use raw / frozen veggies in our dog food!
Eliza
Emily says
So you mention not mixing raw and cooked foods. Do you add the carrots and parsley raw to this recipe, or are they cooked?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Emily - when we are talking about raw vs cooked we are mainly concerned about items like raw meats and eggs mixing with cooked items in the belly since they digest at very different rates. Carrots and parsley are good to be included raw, they won't cause any issue.
Ellie says
Question, The serving size is one cup a day or one cup twice a day for 10lb? My dog weighs 16 lb.
Thanks.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Ellie!
It is 1 cup per 10 pound of body weight. For example, our Hooch is 80 pounds so we feed him 8 cups a day.
We always ask that you talk to your vet about measurements when changing your dogs diet to make sure they are getting enough!!
Hope this helps!!
Eliza
Nydia says
My small dog poodle, torn her knee ligament, the vet advised me to change her diet, her joints are weak, so I will start with cooked food.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Nydia! Your poor pup, we hope that she heals quickly!
Karen says
I am not sure who was more excited about this recipe, my Dachshund /Doodle or me. I made a small portion to see if he would like it. He loves it! So easy! I will definitely continue to make this recipe, and I am excited to try more! I shared this site with some coworkers with fur friends, and they are excited to try this, too!
Barbara says
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! I've prepared it for my dog and she absolutely loves it! Now there is one confusion for me: is the described weight of the meat before or after cooking? The weight can be quite a difference between before and after when it's minced frozen beef.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Barbara! I am so glad that your pup loves the recipe! Great question! The weight is prior to cooking.
Jesy says
I love the recipes and my dogs love them. I have one issue though and I can't find a solution. I make a months worth at a time for two dogs. I strain the meats and rinse and I let completely cool down and then put them into freezer bags and freeze.
Every time we open up a bag it gets slimy the first day. I don't get what we are doing wrong.
We incorporate a lot of your recipes into one. Some beef, and turkey meat, some eggs, two or three kind of vegetables that we have, some canned pumpkin, and sweet potatoes. Though, we do add in a handful of blueberries into the mix and smash them up in each batch.
A little olive oil, some flaxseed as my dogs are allergic to both fish, fish oil and chicken.
The food, smells and tastes fresh even though it does feel... maybe slimy isn't the truest word but a little slimy is the best way I can think of to call it.
What can I do to keep that from happening?
How does it stay drier and crumblier for your dog food?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jesy!!! I know what you mean about the texture change after freezing. Although our dogs don't seem to mind it does bother me a bit too! It is the eggs that are changing texture in the freezer - they can become watery almost upon defrosting. The whites become tough and rubbery, and they release excess water when they're thawed. Since our dogs don't seem to mind too much we will in a pinch freeze premade food for them, especially when we plan to travel.
Emily says
Silly question but do you warm the food up a bit before serving it to your dog or just give it to them cold?
meg@thismessisours says
My dogs don't care if it is cold from the fridge or warm from the stove. We feed it both ways - the day of the week I make fresh food dinner is warm. On the other days, it is cold from the fridge. Either way, they seem to be happy campers. I have had some people say that their dogs like the food warmed at meal time though. It is really personal preference.
Lisa Pool says
Thank you so much for this recipe! we just adopted our furbaby from a city shelter and we absolutely could not find anything he would eat. We bought, science diet, Blue Wilderness, Taste of the wild, kibble and wet. Even fresh pet. I added green beans and the cooked sweet potato. He LOVES it!!!
Audrey says
I found this site about 5 weeks ago and started making this recipe 4 weeks ago on a weekly basis for our dogs. Our dogs look forward to eating now! In the past our Boston would pick at her food and often not eat but once a day, even she sits at attention when I get ready to feed them. We still had some dry food that we were using up so we started out by mixing the two and made the transition to just homemade two weeks ago. The only tummy issues we had came from the Bassett eating too fast so we had to move to a slow feeder bowl for her. We did not do this because of an illness, but because they are on up there in years and thought we would try something to keep them healthy and going as long as we could keep them. Our Boston Terrier is now facing some arthritis issues and while looking for vegetables to add to help with inflammation found the Anti-Inflammatory recipe that I look forward to using for her! Thankful for this recipe for the simplicity and the ability to make it in bulk.
BlessedMom says
First time making dog food from scratch and this was a perfect start out. So easy and the best part???? My fur baby didn’t even hesitate and ate it. Thank you for sharing this!
Lisa Tauzin says
I have a 10 year old Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. He has significant arthritis and dysplasia and is currently being treated with acupuncture, which he responds to well. He weighs 36-37 pounds. I’ve never felt good about giving him dry kibble, so I usually try to top it with a little wet food. I’ve recently decided to try to cook for him, but I need it to be food that will help keep his weight down. Your recipe above looks like it’s low calorie, which would work for him. Do you have any other specific recipes for arthritic dogs? Thank you.
Summer Dickerhoof says
I just have the recipes that are available on the blog. Let me know if you have any questions about the recipes!
Dee Pritchett says
I’m going to start making my 4 black labs food, is there a rule of thumb on making large amounts and freezing for big dogs? Can you add some herbs like Flax seed and Tumeric? Any suggestions would be awesome, Thanks
em says
I add tumeric . Your flax will need to be ground (fresh , or it will oxidize) to get the omega oil from it .
Iain says
What can I say! Murthy my black nosed curtail hound is the smartest I have ever had. Should loves your recipes..chows down like it's a speed challenge! She's still a 20 lb puppy so she's got huge energy. At least 8 walks around our pasture every day! Keeps me fit since I'm retired.
I recommend your recipes to everyone.
Murphy was so board with her high quality dry bought dog food.
No more of that. It's homemade all the way now!!
Tara Jordan says
Can you freeze the homemade recipes?
Eliza Clendenin says
yes!
Kathleen Waddell says
How would you change these recipes and amounts for a fast growing Anatolian Shepherd puppy?
Summer Dickerhoof says
Good question! This is something to check in with your vet about and knowing when to change the amounts as your pup grows!
Kelly says
Thank you for the helpful information and basic recipe! I am excited to begin preparing my nine-years-old Australian shepherd’s food at home. Question- should I transition her slowly from her current wet can food (do one quarter to three-quarter and then half-and-half, etc.) to avoid stomach upset?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Kelly! That is a great question and we are so happy to have you here. Yes, you need to transition diets slowly and incrementally. Otherwise you may deal with stomach upset. I do always like to add pumpkin or a probiotic powder into their diets when transitioning to help avoid upset tummies. If your dog does have any adverse tummy issues when transitioning diets we have more solutions in this blog post.
ossie says
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!! You are a life saver. In this particular case, the life of our 17 and half years old Max, a mixed breed Miniature Pinscher we rescued when he was six months old after being run over by a car and breaking his leg. Max's teeth are in bad shape, and due to his age started developing some renal issues. Our vet does not want to anesthetize him to deal with his teeth because of his age and the renal issues. He cannot eat kibble any more - too hard for him. Spent a fortune on prescription diet wet food - he hated it. Simply refused to eat it (I donated the unopened cans to a local shelter). Tried every other wet food - most he wouldn't touch, and the two or three types that were "passable" in his opinion he would eat grudgingly when he realized there was no other alternative. So I decided to try homemade food. Tried a couple of recipes I found online - still not it... Then I came across your site. Gave this recipe a try, although I wasn't very optimistic. OMG. I have to give him small portions several times a day, otherwise he gobbles everything up as soon as I put it in his plate.
We just finished the first batch. Going to try different types of meat to see if there is any particular one he likes best.
Now I'm looking for the right treat for him - has to be soft, he can't chew on anything hard.
Luckily, despite his advanced years, Max is still pretty active.
Once again, on behalf of Max (and his mom ;-), thank you so much!
Eliza Clendenin says
OMG!! We are so happy to hear that Max is enjoying his meals again! It is truly the greatest feeling when your dogs gets happy to eat!! If your vet says it is okay, you should try giving Max bananas as a soft treat! Hooch & Rebel love, love, love bananas!!!
We hope you & Max are both doing well!
Eliza
Cindy M. Markle says
Hello there, I would love to make this for my chihuahua. She’s 7lbs, what would her serving size be?
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Cindy!
Our vet recommended 1 cup per 10 pound of weight. You could feed her a little under a cup or exactly a cup. It is up to whatever you & your vet both feel comfortable with!!
I hope this helped!
Eliza
Natalia says
About how much would you feed 10-12lb dog?
Eliza Clendenin says
Our vet recommended 1 cup for every 10 pounds, so that is how we measure out our dogs food. For a 10-12lb we would say 1-1/2 cup of food, but we highly recommend checking with your vet first.
We have been feeding our dogs with these measurements for the past 2 years & they are both healthy & in the healthy weight range. I hope this helps!
Jen says
Hi there! Wondering how much I would feed my 27 lb Boston Terrier. I’m giving him a little under 2 cups and he’s acting like he’s starving (which he may be-eek!)
Thanks!!!
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Jen!!
We asked our vet how much to feed our dogs & she recommended 1 cup per 10 pounds. Since your dog is closer to 30 pounds I'd recommend giving him 3 cups instead, but you can also run it by your vet to make sure they feel this amount is right.
Irene Contrades says
My two little fur babies are such finicky eaters. And my chihuahua always seemed constipated. Well, I found this recipe and tried it. Being that I have little 8 lb dogs I pulse it about 4 times in my food processor. I had to give it a week to see if they were going to continue to like it. I am soooo happy to say that I no longer have a problem feeding them. They hear the bowls and come running. And my little Chica is now starting to have normal bowl movements. Thank you soooo much!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Irene this is amazing! We are thrilled the recipe is working so well for you and your pups!
David says
My dog is going to benefit a lot from this. Thank you for your taking this to many households, where many pets will love their food even more and us parents love the health benefits this recipe provides. Although I believe human food should always stay on our plate; the ingredients we use to cook our food, are also ingredients that your best friend could benefit from. Thank you once again. I hope that you continue to share your amazing ideas, tips, and knowledge with us.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi David!
We are so happy that your pup loved this recipe & that you love it too!! We want to make sure as many dogs enjoy their dinners as possible! Thank you for giving this recipe a try!
Alicia says
Hi! We just rescued an 8 year old dog from Hawaii and found out he has borderline elevated creatinine. I’m excited to get him off kibble! I was wondering about meat substitutes. You mentioned pork and poultry but nothing about fish. Polu loves tuna from a can packed in water. Would that fit in the recipe or no? What about other fish? I’m trying to get his creatinine level down. Thanks so much!
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi! Congratulations on rescuing Polu! It’s wonderful to hear you’re transitioning him off kibble. Regarding your question about fish, it’s definitely a viable option for your homemade dog food recipe. Fish like tuna, packed in water, can be a great addition, but there are a few things to consider:
Low Sodium: Ensure the tuna you use is low in sodium. Excessive sodium can be problematic for dogs with kidney issues.
Variety: While tuna is okay, it’s also a good idea to vary the fish you include. Options like salmon, cod, and haddock can offer a range of nutrients and are generally easy on a dog’s digestive system.
Cooked Fish: Always cook the fish before adding it to your dog’s food to avoid any potential parasites or contaminants.
Consult Your Vet: Given Polu’s elevated creatinine levels, it’s crucial to consult with your vet to ensure that the fish you’re including is appropriate for his specific health needs.
I hope this helps, and best of luck with Polu’s new diet! If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
Synthia says
My 14 year old dog was recently diagnosed with kidney disease and this was all he would eat for 2 weeks, however he had to get dental work and almost all his teeth were pulled. Now he has a difficult time with it even if I grind it up. He likes cream of rice and cream of wheat, is that something I could use to replace the rice? My vet just keeps pushing the commercial Rx diets but my dog will not touch the stuff!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Synthia!! I am so sorry to hear about your dog!! My dogs refuse to eat commercial diest too! I personally have not tried feeding Cream of Rice or Cream of Wheat to my dogs. I would definitely stay clear of the Cream of Wheat since wheat is a top allergen for dogs. Now for the Cream of Rice, my research says it should be fine to give to your pup but I'd talk to your vet about it just to double-check.
Before completely replacing the rice in the recipe with the Cream of Rice, I'd recommend grinding up the food in a food processor and gradually adding water as you go until you get to the desired consistency for your dog. I hope this helped!
Eva says
Hi Meg, can't thank you enough for your recipes. i tried it and my 2 pups at home loves it!
I'm from Indonesia and from where i live, we rarely use "CUP" measurement and instead, we use gram (metric) measurement. Appreciate if you could inform me how many grams per cup of the dog food you gave to your beloved pups.
and it would be great as well if you could advise me how many grams should i feed my 40 lbs golden retriever puppy (5 months old) and 13.5 lbs of mini poodle puppy (9 months old)
Thank you very much!!! 🙂
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Eva!! I'm so happy to hear that your dogs love the food! For our dogs, we do one cup (136.5g) per 10 pounds.
You should give your golden retriever roughly 546g and your mini poodle puppy roughly 273g. Obviously, you can adjust these measurements to fit your pups best!! I hope this helps!
Lisa says
So excited to try this recipe. My dog hates dog food so he just waits for whatever the baby throws on the floor. I would love to find a food that he loves that has all of the nutrients he loves.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh man, Lisa let me tell you that Hooch was the same way before I created this recipe for him, and now he cries every time we pull out the food container at dinner time!! I'm hoping that your dog loves it as much as ours!
Danna Friedemann, Duke and David says
Aloha, seeing your video has given us a lifeline of hope. Our adopted puppy was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Failure three weeks ago, and our world turned totally upside down! Our primary care vet gave us a few months-to-a-couple years prognosis. The emergency vet gave us a one-month prognosis. Duke was in the hospital for over a week, and now he is at home with us, we are seeing improved results since he's been home. We will not give up, and we have not given up any hope! Like you, we are doing as much research as we can. We are searching for more fitting vets and internal medical doctors that can help us, as our Duke is only one and a half years old. There are only three active internal medicine doctors on Oahu currently, and we are going to be seeing two of them. We are working with a holistic vet out of Kauai, and he has given us the most help and best treatment plan, similar to what you have given your Hooch. Thank you for sharing your story -- if I did not see your video, I would have had no hope. I appreciate your video and blogs! I also sent your page to our dog trainer, she is an amazing dog trainer out of Hawaii.
What did you do for heartworm medicine after Hooch was diagnosed? How often did you do bloodwork? Did you administer subcutaneous liquid? How much exercise do you give for Hooch? We purchased the water bowl you recommended, and Duke seems to like drinking from it. We weren't certain about the curly parsley, but I would like to know more about that. One of the recipes from our holistic vet has parsley, but we left it out for now. What were Hooch's first kidney values? Any underlying cause to be found for his kidney failure? Please let me know if you have any further information, anything would help us at this point. Mahalo for all that you do and all that you are, smooches to Hooch.
Eliza Clendenin says
Aloha! Thank you so much for reaching out and sharing Duke’s journey with us. I’m truly sorry to hear about his diagnosis, but I’m glad that my video has provided you with some hope during this challenging time.
For heartworm medicine, after Hooch’s diagnosis, we continued with his regular heartworm prevention, but we adjusted the frequency based on his vet’s recommendations. Bloodwork was done every 3-4 weeks initially to closely monitor his kidney function and overall health. As for subcutaneous fluids, we did administer them at home to help support his kidneys, starting with a smaller amount and increasing as needed based on his condition and vet’s advice.
Exercise was kept moderate—short, gentle walks were best to avoid overexertion while still keeping him active and engaged.
Regarding curly parsley, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some holistic vets recommend it for its antioxidant properties, but others suggest caution due to potential risks, especially if your dog has any underlying conditions. I’d suggest discussing its use with Duke’s holistic vet to determine what’s best for him.
Hooch’s initial kidney values were quite high, but they improved over time with the right management. We didn’t find a specific underlying cause for his kidney issues, but the comprehensive treatment plan helped a lot.
I hope this information is helpful, and I’m sending all the best vibes and smooches to Duke. Keep up the great work with his care, and please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have more questions. Mahalo and best wishes for Duke’s continued improvement!
Samantha says
I would like to try this recipe but I want to add sweet potato and cranberries. Do you have a suggestion of how much I should add?
I have a 53lb American Bulldog/Pitbull that is not neutered. Should I give him 2.5 cups or 3 cups a day?
Summer Dickerhoof says
Great ingredients for dogs! I don't have a recipe that substitutes these, but check with your vet and they should be able to help you create a custom diet for your pup!
Sheryl Johnston says
Thank you so much for an easy dog food recipe! You’ve inspired us to try making dog food again to help combat our Golden’s allergies and help keep him healthy. Really appreciate your time sharing this with all of us 🙂
Robert says
When it comes to the oil being used. Does avocado oil work as a substitute? Or should I stick with olive oil or safflower oil? Thanks!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Robert! You can trade avocado oil out for olive or safflower oil.
Monica Hovey says
Hi, I have been thinking of starting to make homecooked meals for a while now and was happy to have found your page. My dog that just went through amputation due to bone cancer and now have to start chemo, so I wanted to get him off of the store brand food and start to feed him healthier food.
I love how easy the recipes are and am I going grocery shopping today to start cooking tomorrow. One question, how do you use the bone broth? do you just add it to the food or just give to them as drink? Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Monica! I am so sorry to hear about what you and your dog have had to go through, and I hope that he has made a quick recovery! For the bone broth, you can do it either way!! If my dogs are hurt or are under the weather, I tend to add it to their dinner in addition to letting them both have some with their breakfast!
Christina says
Great article and very good tips! You are my new favorite! I will enter daily to see the updates. What do you think about this Multifunctional Dog Leash from these guys? Thank you! Much love from Germany!
Helen Capone says
OMG OMG GAME CHANGER!!
My finicky pups are so fortunate I found your recipe. First I had half a Turkey in the fridge when it decided to die! Everything in my fridge froze. So after thanksgiving I had to deal with this half a Turkey. I did change it up a bit though. I used white rice because it’s what I had. I boiled and ground the Turkey, cooked the rice in the bone broth, then added the peas, carrots sweet potatoesthat I had canned and cranberries added the rice and some broth. My dogs are loving it!! Thank you so much!!
And don’t worry I still have 3 more turkeys in the freezer!!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Helen I hate to hear that about your fridge, but love to hear how your pups lucked out in the process! Thanks so much for sharing!
Rachel says
When you first started the homemade dog food…did you still add kibble to wean them off to straight homemade food? I guess my thought is…are dogs getting everything their body needs in the scoops of homemade food…or should we still add a little kibble to it?
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Rachel,
When introducing homemade food into their diets, yes. We gradually incorporated the homemade food with their kibble. Every 3-4 days we would decrease the kibble and increase the homemade food. Until finally we were feeding 100% homemade food. We do not supplement the dogs at all with kibble and haven't for over 2 years now.
We do include a powdered vitamin and mineral blend which is linked in the blog post to their meals every day so they aren't missing out on any vitamins or nutrients.
Hope this answers your question!
Anonymous says
I am going to try this tomorrow, I do have a question though. My boy Rocky is only 10 months old and he needs to be on high protein because he is a cattle dog/blue heeler. What kind of dogs are yours? The white 1 looks almost just like Rocky except Rocky has a mask.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! So our dogs are pitbull shepherd mixes. Hooch the older dog, has a history of kidney disease so we keep him on a low phosphorus diet, but Rebel the white one is younger than Hooch and needs more protein and phosphorus!
Here is how we add more protein into Rebel's diet: bone broth meal toppers, pea protein powder, Yak chews, or plain whole milk or Greek yogurt.
Let me know if you have any more questions and happy cooking! I know Rocky is going to love his dinner 🙂
Daphne Durham says
I have been looking at switching my two dogs over to a raw diet and my question is about the teeth. I feel like just a raw diet could be horrible for their teeth? I have older dogs 11 yr old pitty and a 4 yr old bulldog
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Daphne,
Our Hooch & Rebel aren't on a raw diet so I can't speak from personal experience, but I always recommend talking with your vet.
Now with our Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipe, our dogs have not had any issues with their teeth!
I hope this helps!
Eliza
Robin says
Hi There, if I understand this recipe correctly, the recipe makes 13 cups. For my 2 dogs, total weight is 80 lbs, therefore they should have 8 cups daily, This recipe will have to be made almost daily. Is this what you do or do you have a different method? My pug/sharpie itches all the time and I’m trying to find an alternative, but my pittie will eat about anything. Thanks for the recipe. I’m definitely want to try it out.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Robin!
I have an 80lb dog and a 50lb dog - so I get it! It is a lot of food to prepare. I make big batches of this recipe for them, but yes I do make their food a few times each week. I have sort of just added the steps into different phases of the meal prep I do for my one family. It is a lifestyle change, but that has been completely worth it for us and our dogs.
Our sweet 11-year-old Hooch has survived 1 1/2 years past our vet's 3-6 month projected life span when he was first diagnosed with kidney disease. Now almost 2 years from that diagnosis he shows no indicators of kidney disease at all in his labs.
I hope this helps your pup's allergy issues! Being itchy is miserable!
Mindy says
Are you reheating or serving the portioned leftovers cold?
meg@thismessisours says
Our dogs like it cold, but they do love the day where they get it fresh and warm from the stove top too!
Melissa Sitts says
Hello I am completely new to this and I am so overwhelmed from doing research. I could really use some help! I have 2 huskies one is 40lbs and another is 55lbs. We take them running for a mile or 2 and sometimes we walk for 4miles. Can you give some suggestions and measurements on amounts? How can I cook bigger batches preferably for 1 week for 2 dogs? How much should I feed an active pup? Can I still feed an active pup this for a month for dinner? As you can see by my questions I am floundering 😬😅😅
Eliza Clendenin says
Absolutely, I'd be happy to help with your questions!
For your two active huskies, here's a general guideline to get you started:
Portion Size: For active dogs, you'll generally want to provide around 1.5 to 2.5% of their body weight in food daily. Since your huskies are 40 lbs and 55 lbs, that means they might need approximately:
40 lbs husky: 0.6 to 1 lb of food per day
55 lbs husky: 0.8 to 1.4 lbs of food per day
Given their activity level, you might be on the higher end of that range.
Cooking in Batches: To cook larger batches, multiply the recipe quantities by the number of days you want to prepare for. For example, if you're cooking for 7 days, and each day you need 1 lb of food total for both dogs, you'd make 7 lbs of food. You can store this in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze the rest in portions for easy defrosting.
Feeding Schedule: It’s perfectly fine to use this recipe as their dinner meal for a month, as long as you’re balancing it with other meals or supplements to ensure they’re getting all the necessary nutrients. It's a good idea to consult with your vet to make sure the diet is well-rounded and meets all their needs.
Measuring and Storage: For larger batches, consider using a kitchen scale for accuracy. Store the food in airtight containers or freezer bags, and label them with dates to keep track of freshness.
I hope this helps make things a bit less overwhelming! If you have more questions or need further assistance, feel free to ask.
Mary says
Hello! Your recipe looks delicious and you have a lot of great info, so thank you! I am new to concept of making homemade dog food. We recently adopted a dog who is 2.5 years old and once I did more research about a lot of the questionable ingredients in dry dog food I started to realize homemade just may be the way to go! I just want to make sure i balance the meal correctly and she gets all her necessary nutrients. There has also been a lot of back and forth about grain inclusive / grain free meals so I had a question about that and a couple other dietary wonders..what made you decide to include the amount of rice that you did in your recipe? And would it be okay to add more meat or veggies instead of rice or is the rice pretty key? Also how you strike the right balance of calcium and phosphorus in the meal? Do you add a calcium supplement to balance the phosphorus currently in the recipe from the meat? Thanks so much in advance!
Eliza Clendenin says
Thank you so much for your kind words and for reaching out with your questions! It’s great to hear that you’re exploring homemade dog food for your new furry friend—it's a wonderful way to ensure they get high-quality, wholesome ingredients.
Regarding the rice in the recipe, it serves a few purposes. Rice is a good source of carbohydrates and provides energy. It also helps to balance the meal with fiber and can aid in digestion. That said, you can absolutely adjust the recipe based on your dog’s needs and preferences. If you want to add more meat or veggies, that's totally fine—just be sure to maintain a balance of nutrients. Adding more meat will increase the protein content, and veggies can add additional vitamins and minerals, but you'll need to ensure you're not throwing off the overall balance.
For the calcium and phosphorus balance, it’s crucial to get it right for your dog's health. Meat does contain phosphorus, but not much calcium. To achieve the right balance, many pet owners add a calcium supplement. You might consider adding crushed eggshells (which are a natural source of calcium) or a specific calcium supplement formulated for dogs. Always consult with your vet before making any significant changes to your dog’s diet or adding supplements.
Leigh says
Hi! I just recently start making homemade food for my Maltipoo & your recipes seems easy to make. What’s the oil that you added on your recipe? TIA!
Eliza Clendenin says
Thanks for your questions! While rice is a common ingredient in many homemade dog food recipes, it can be substituted with other grains or vegetables if needed. For instance, quinoa or sweet potatoes can be excellent alternatives that still provide a good source of carbohydrates.
Regarding the balance of calcium and phosphorus, it's crucial to maintain a proper ratio to support your dog's health. The recipe I shared is designed to be balanced, but it’s always a good idea to consult with your vet to ensure it meets your dog's specific needs. They may recommend adding a calcium supplement if your dog's diet needs more calcium to balance out the phosphorus from the meat.
I hope this helps, and feel free to reach out if you have more questions!
Sally says
I have found the canned 100% pumpkin has been essential for stopping constipation in my dogs.
Holly L Eubanks says
What a wonderful gift this is to those of us having food-related problems with our dogs. My 15-year-old Aussie developed a red, ulcery, swollen lip several months ago, and three veterinarians have not been able to source the problem. Yesterday Roland (Aussie) had diarrhea during the day, and so I gave him only white rice and organic chicken broth for dinner. Amazingly, his lip was pink this morning instead of cherry red, so I am thinking he is either allergic to his kibble or to chicken. Since there is also chicken in his kibble, I have to do some more work limiting the variables...but I am very encouraged. If he turns out to be allergic to chicken, does turkey tend to work as the meat base?
Such a wonderful page! I'm bookmarking it!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Holly - oof your poor pup! Chicken is a common allergen for dogs, so definitely omit that altogether. While turkey is considered poultry, its nutrient properties are different from chicken making it a safe protein alternative for chicken-sensitive dogs. You can also try duck, lamb, or even just ground pork with no seasonings as a protein alternative. I hope this helps!
Laurel says
My 12-1/2 year old black Lab has developed what I believe to be some digestive issues. I've tried lamb & rice, salmon and sweet potato or rice but discomfort continues. My vet advises that protein for older dogs should be in the mid 20% ranges to avoid kidney problems. My husband died of kidney failure and protein was restricted for him as well. Any idea if halving the protein in this recipe would through off the balance?
Summer Dickerhoof says
For these specifics, I would check with your vet on how to customize this recipe to fit your pup's needs!
Chris says
Hello,
Does this work well with a senior dog?
My senior dog has very bad arthritis so isn't very active do I still do the 1 cup per 10 pounds. Also how long is this good for in the freezer
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Chris! Yes, it does - our Hooch is 11 and thriving on this diet! I have actually been working with my vet and my senior dog to develop an anti-inflammatory recipe and it has been a game-changer for our dog. I hope to have it up by end of next week. But, this recipe is a great place to start and it freezes well for up to 3 months.
Ashleigh Schultz says
Hi! I am new to homemade dog food and plan to make this recipe tomorrow! Question though! I have read for humans that freezing hard boiled eggs can be not good (not sure if that’s just due to taste or actual safety) can you confirm that you freeze some of this recipe to use for later times and have no issues?!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi!! Great question. So, typically freezing yolks is fine, the issue for humans is actually the texture of the whites after freezing. Hard-boiled whites become a little tougher and can be watery when frozen, but our dogs have zero issues inhaling it. It isn't a safety issue with freezing it is textural for people after thawing. I hope that makes sense.
Liz says
Thank you for this recipe! I just started making food for my 2 Pitts and they absolutely love it! I have a questions about the breakfast bowl. Is that something you give your dogs everyday? Can I use herbs that are already packaged, like a McCormick brand?
meg@thismessisours says
I am so glad your pups like it!! I provide my dog's with yogurt bowls a few days a week for an added boost of protein and fiber. YOu can absolutely use packaged dried herbs.
Patty says
My dog loves this recipe. Out of curiosity, have you ever tried using dried curly parsley in place of fresh curly parsley?
meg@thismessisours says
You can totally used dried! I just had a really hard tie finding specifically dried curly parsley. I wrote an entire post about seasoning dog food with dried herbs, you can see it here! Homemade Dog Food Seasoning
Dogs dudes says
Thank you for the important content.
Katie says
Let me start by saying that I have the least food motivated dog I’ve ever heard of. He thought twice about eating bacon- BACON!
That same finicky German Shepherd also has a lot of skin issues- allergies and the like. This year, they’ve been exceptionally bad, and I wanted to see if proper food could help him out while we experiment with medications from the vet.
So, I’m slaving away making this recipe (much harder than simply scooping food into a bowl), and in the back of my mind I’m thinking, “what if he doesn’t even eat it?”
That picky little boy ate this up so fast. The real test will be the next few days when it’s less fresh, but I am astounded. So much so that I had to write a review.
Thank you for this recipe. I did some crappy math, and it comes to about $4 a day to feed an 80 pound gsd- super affordable, super great!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Katie!! What an amazing testimonial and I for one am super impressed at your math with that cost! I hope that your pup continues to love this food as much as ours do years later. It never gets old for them. I do change the seasonal dog friendly produce sometimes or add some blueberries which I think keeps it interesting for their taste buds.Keep me posted!
Paula M Jones says
I have a 15 yo Boston mix and a 7 yo, I’m unsure of her breed mix (both are rescues). They love, love, love the meat, egg and veggie mixes I have made using your recipe as a guide, based on what I have on hand. But, they barely tolerate the baked sweet potato treats and so far won’t do more t smell the apples I try to feed them, even if I am eating the apple. Tried the pumpkin and yogurt bowls this morning and the older dog won’t touch it and the younger one barely tasted it before walking away. I mixed dried herbs (wasn’t able to plant anything this year as I was dealing with chemo and radiation earlier). I did add some weak chicken broth to the last batch of food I made, just because it seemed so dry without liquid, even with the oil. I have enough for 4 or 5 days in my refrigerator and portioned meals for 5 days more in the freezer. I may be feeding them too much, but they seem to be tolerating the change well. I still have plenty of dry kibble on hand for.supplements if they need it later in the day. Love being able to spoil my babies just a little since I can’t do much with them right now. After all, this is their house and they just let me stay here!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Paula, I am sending you so much love for your health and healing! Your sweet pups are so lucky to have you. While our younger dog is a very adventurous eater our older dog who ate kibble and dog treats most of his life is not. I find I have to test him with things, but he has tastebuds. He wouldn't eat apple chunks for the longest time, so I tried grating and mixing them into his food one night and he liked that. We worked up from there starting with thin slivers and moving to now chunks. He loves crispy unsweetened banana chips, but hates bananas and will only eat a treat with banana baked into it if its warm. See what I mean... picky. Sometimes they just don't like things just like us and I just try to be ok with that. 🙂 Take care of yourself!
Lynn Peabody says
Hello!
For your homemade dog food recipe that calls for minced sage, would it be ok to use dried sage like McCormicks seasoning or bulk sage from Amazon? Same with the Parsley, dill, rosemary and oregano? What would the portion size be vs the fresh minced herbs?
Love your dog recipes! Thank you for sharing!
Lynn Peabody
Leland, Mi
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Lynn!!
Great question, yes you can use dried. Because dried herbs are often more potent and concentrated than fresh herbs, you will need less. That means the correct ratio is one tablespoon of fresh herbs to one teaspoon of dried herbs. I have a dog food seasoning recipe that talks all about this that you can check out here: Homemade Dog Food Seasoning
Deb B says
Hello, I’m only giving this recipe 3 stars because all three of my dogs have horrible diarrhea after eating this food for 2 days. I substituted the ground beef with ground turkey and I left the shells on the eggs but chopped them up in my ninja food processor. Did anyone else have this issue? My dogs love the recipe, but not sure if I should continue to feed this due to the diarrhea.
Eliza Clendenin says
Hi Deb.
Thanks for reaching out and sharing your experience. I’m sorry to hear about the trouble your dogs have had with the recipe. It’s great that they enjoyed the taste, but I understand how concerning it can be when they experience digestive issues.
When introducing new foods to your pets, it’s important to do so gradually rather than making an immediate switch. Dogs have sensitive stomachs, and sudden changes in their diet can sometimes lead to digestive upset. Typically, it’s recommended to mix the new food with their current food over a period of several days, gradually increasing the amount of the new food while decreasing the old food. This helps their digestive system adjust more smoothly.
Additionally, when making substitutions like using ground turkey instead of beef, it can also affect their digestive response, as different proteins and fat contents can sometimes have varying effects. The eggshells you added can also contribute to changes in digestion for some dogs.
I hope this helps, and please let me know if you have any more questions or need further advice!
Simten says
Hi Meg,
I am so lucky that I could find your page and recipes.
My master (Dort - meaning 4 in all languages; Pekingese, 15 years old) has been living with sensitive kidney - on the edge, they say.
We have been on Renal Diet for a couple of years until she started to tell me that she will not be taking that anymore.
I searched for alternative for some time. And finally, I found your page!
Today, I tried the recipe. The cutie loved it; her usual joy returned.
I will be continuing with your recipes.
Just a question: Are all the recipes that you share for dogs with kidney problems?
Best,
meg@thismessisours says
Hi!! I am so glad that you found us!! I would stick to this dog food recipe and the basic dehydrated sweet potato treats in the beginning. You can find them here: Can Dogs Eat Sweet Potatoes? A Simple Treat They’ll Love!
These two recipes were what we kept with until Hooch's kidney levels started to look better.
Patty says
Thank you for taking the time to create this recipe. My 14 year old dog absolutely loves this homemade dog food recipe. It is gone in a heart beat. Out of curiosity, can I use dried curly parsley (using your DIY recipe) in place of fresh parsley? If so, how much? Thank you again!!!
meg@thismessisours says
You absolutely can replace the fresh parsley with dried it is 1 teaspoon dried for 1 tablespoon fresh. 🙂
Thicha says
I have a 3.5 lb., 13 years old Yorkie who was diagnosed with early stage kidney disease (which may be the result of the underlying inflammation in her gallbladder). She was raw fed for a year prior to her diagnosis and the vet is suspecting that her body might not be able to handle bacterias in raw food as well as younger dogs would be able to so I am about to transition her to this recipe and hope she will thrive on it, so thank you so much for sharing! One question though, I am not sure if you're supposed to measure the weight of the meat when it's raw or when it's cooked as I am pretty sure it will weight less due to moisture loss during the cooking process?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! Thank you for sharing your story with me - your poor pup and poor you! That measurement is for uncooked, so yes it does cook down a bit. Please, keep me posted on how y'all are doing!
Mimi says
Hi! First off thank you for all the post you have taken time to make ! Your information is so helpful and saved me lots of time of doing the same research! I started transitioning my 2 year old rescue and my 10 year old malitpoo this week. They absolutely love it ! 5 days in with no belly aches or potty accidents. But I have noticed their stool is obviously a lot softer. I know for the first few days to expect softer stool. But I’m not sure how long that should last or if I should add something else to get the stool a bit more firm. Overall they have been extremely happy with this change
of food! Can’t wait to try the yogurt and pumpkin recipe!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Mimi!! Sometimes the transition to a new diet can take a little bit to work through which is why we suggest a slow transition incorporating small amounts of this with the food their bellies are already used to then slowly decreasing the levels of that and increasing the levels of the homemade. I hope that makes sense. I do have a doggie "medicine cabinet" at our house, because ya know sometimes stomach issues just happen. I wrote an article about it here:What I’ve learned about Dog Vitamins + Kidney Disease It has a great anti-diarrheal that is developed by vets and just mixes into their food. My dog's have never needed it longer than a day or two with any issue they have had.
If you are dealing wit tummy trouble I would wait before adding in the yogurt bowls until your dog is 100% and then slowly see if yogurt is ok and pumpkin. Pumpkin has lots of fiber - so you definitely don't need more of that if stools are soft at the moment. Hope this helps!!
Lane Plummer says
Olliver loves this recipe, but he has runny poops. Not good.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Lane - I hate to hear that. This can happen if a dog is transitioned too quickly from a processed kibble diet to a diet of fresh food. We never had any long-lasting issues and have become slow as snails when adding any new ingredients to their diets to ensure no runny poops. Over the years we have been testing ingredients and diets though we have had a few bouts with runny poop and we have found that Vets Preferred Anti-Diarrhea works amazingly well usually in one dose that is added to the dog's food. We always have it stocked in our doggie medicine cabinet! Here is a link to check it out: https://amzn.to/3lRHfio
Ada Alfaro says
Hi Meg
I'm also tired of buying dog food and I'm looking for an alternative, I love these recipes. Thank you for taking the time to share your recipes. I do have a question how long can these recipes be refrigerated for.
thank you
Ada Alfaro
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Ada! You are so welcome, thank you for rating the recipe and commenting!! You can safely refrigerate for up to 4 days. Any more than that I would portion and freeze.
Mary Jane says
Hi Meg,
I love your recipe, plus all the variations that can be used. Our 3 yo, 40 pound pup, Remi, loves this. I make a big batch and freeze it in sandwich bags. Works like a charm. I usually warm it a bit in the microwave before giving it to him from frig. He loves it. I hope to stop using his kibble—Blue Mtn—but so far we use it to supplement his meals, though lots of the time he doesn’t eat it. I plan to start him on the yogurt pumpkin morning bowl and the treats during the day you mentioned.
Thank you for this blog—it is so informative. My one question is about serving size. I get that he should have four cups per day given his weight. Do you have a grams measurement for 1 cup, because depending on how compact it is, the weight can vary. Thank you.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Mary Jane! Thank you for your comment and I am so glad that Remi is loving the meals. I actually have not weighed out a cup measure in grams, but I can work on adding that to the recipe during our next update. Such a great ides, thank you!
Melissa Sitts says
Can you tell me what you did (measurements and portions) for your 40lb dog? I want to get In bulk as I have a 40lber and a 50lber lol
meg@thismessisours says
Hey there Melissa! We feed our dogs 1 cup per 10 pounds of body weight. For a 40lb dog that would be 4 cups and a 50lb dog would get 5!
Christie says
Hi there,
I've been stalking your dog food recipes for a while and decided to for it today! Question - can any of these recipes be frozen? I would like to make a large batch, if possible. If not, how long can they keep in the fridge?
Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Christie!! Oh my goodness I am so glad you are here and giving the recipe a try! You can absolutely freeze this food if you make a large batch. In the fridge it should keep for 4-5 days.
Paige says
My Large Breed dog has a Grain sensitivity. can you substitute sweet potatoes/potatoes for the rice? As well as what other proteins have you found to work.
meg@thismessisours says
You totally could make that substitution. My dogs tend to do really well with turkey, sirloin, and even buffalo. Chicken doesn't sit well with them, but chicken has been known to be an issue since some dogs can have an allergy to it. While other dogs can eat it just fine. I have tried ground unseasoned pork before as well and they loved it with zero issues.
jodi m hassett says
Thank you! It may have already been said, but i am grinding up the shells as i speak to use as calcium in this recipe.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jodi! Yes that is so great, we do that too! I am currently working on a whole blog post about it so everyone can see just how easy it is!
aissa says
is there any way to train my dog to eat some vegan food
cuz am vegan person and evrytime i try to give my german shepherds a vegan food he dont eat it
Edward Pullen says
How do I make my dog eat eggs? He hates its smell
meg@thismessisours says
Edward you can try grating the very small on a cheese garter then stirring them into the food and that might help.
Susan Barrett says
Fantastic recipe! I made it for my jack russell terrier and she loves it! Thank you for sharing it!
meg@thismessisours says
I am so glad Susan! Thank you so much for rating and reviewing the recipe!
Jeanett says
Oh my gosh the difference this has made with just one feeding! I have a very picky rescued yorkiepoo, he gobbled this up and didn't experience a tummy ache or bathroom problems. This has been a godsend since I have spent SO much money on dog food he refused to eat. He has more energy and he slept well last night. I did have a problem finding curly parsley though. The store offered flat and Italian parsley. Is it ok to use Italian parsley? Again the biggest thank you for helping me to feed my prescious dog correctly. LOVE.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Jeanett!! What an amazing success story. Thank you so much for sharing! I am just beyond thrilled for you and your pup. When it comes to parsley for dogs, you should only feed the curly variety. So, if you can't find that I would substitute it with another fresh dog friendly herb like basil or dill or even oregano in small quantities. You can read all about dog healthy fresh herb choices in my Homemade Dog Food Seasoning post. Keep me posted how you and your sweet Yorkiepoo are doing!!!
T.J. says
I’ve made this many times now and it’s always a hit.
mohammed sabir says
VERY USEFUL BLOG
Andrea says
Hi! I’m so excited about this recipe - I’m going to make it for my 8 week old Chinese crested puppy. Is there anything I should add to this for a young puppy? Like eggshells or do you think it will be fine as is?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! How exciting - I bet you have your handsfull! I would add a calcium supplement - we sanitize and grind up eggshells at home for this and just add it to their food every day. Also, for our dog Rebel we add a dehydrated organ meat pwder from Dog's Naturally. She could use the phosphorus in her food, but our older dog that was diagnosed with kidney disease has to avoid it. I hope this helps!
Jordan says
Hi! Two questions, if my dog can't have eggs, should I increase the ground beef to make up for that protein? Also, if I'm substituting canned (no sodium added) green beans, how much would you add? I wasn't 100% sure how much 3 shredded carrots amounted to.
meg@thismessisours says
Hmmmm... good questions. I would personally up the beef. I am honestly not sure about the canned beans. I would probably go for 2 cans - green beans are a great ingredient for dogs so a little extra wont hurt.
Cheryl says
I scramble the eggs instead of having to boil and peel the eggs.
I know my dogs won't eat spirulina so I freeze spinach or kale in quart bags and then once they are frozen, I squeeze the bags in my hand and the greens break into small pieces and then they they dissolve easily in the warm dog food. I learned to freeze greens from the Damn Delicious cookbook.
meg@thismessisours says
These are all great ideas Cheryl!
Kelly says
My dog is 7 years old and about 4 pounds overweight. I just got him a few months ago so I'm learning that he is picky and doesn't like kibble. His vet said the wet food i was feeding him was too high in fat. I live next to farmers who have 100% grass-fed meat. When cooking it there's hardly any fat and its delicious. I knew I needed to feed him something better. I found your recipe and I'm so glad I did! I didn't have parsley or oil (I don't cook with oil) so this go round I didn't use herbs. I did lean beef, carrots, peas, and green beans, oatmeal (was out of brown rice), boiled eggs, and hemp seeds for the omegas. He gobbled it up so fast! I am sooo so so so happy for this!! Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
This is great news Kelly!!! Thank you so much for coming back and taking the time to comment and share your story with us! It means so much!
Sally says
How do you not have to make this like every other day? I started making it fir my dogs (which they love it…thank u!) but my big dog eats 4-5 cups twice a day and I’m making it like every other day.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh Sally, I feel your pain! I meal prep BIG batches so I only have to make it twice a week. It is an adjustment though!
MARIE BELCREDI says
I had a dog in my early years and he refused anything but fresh meat which I gave him. He ended up with rickets and I had to give him extra calcium. I se thre is no bone meal or anything rich in calcium except the eggs. Stress they enough? Especially for the puppy?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Marie, thank you for your concern. Our dogs get lots of calcium from their supplements, Greek yogurt bowls, and our homemade eggshell powder supplement which we will be adding to the site soon.
Cindi L says
Thank you so much for this recipe, it has really been a huge help with our 12 year old lab that was diagnosed with Degenerative Myelopathy. Poor Bella lost mobility as well as her appetite and I tried almost every food I could buy to entice her to eat but nothing lasted more than 4-5 meals before she tired of it. Well, she has been eating this for 3 weeks and absolutely inhales it! We are so happy! I have been making this for Bella as well as our new puppy Leia and they are both loving it. I have to add that as my husband and I both work 60+ hours a week I had to find some short cuts. I have been using frozen veggies (peas, carrots, green beans, corn, sweet potatoes and butter nut squash) and mixing that with the dried spice blend, ground meat, brown rice and scrambled eggs. I also bought the greens mix that you suggested and I feel so good feeding my pups healthy human-grade food. Thank you for sharing this!!
meg@thismessisours says
Wow Cindi!!! This is amazing and I love your shortcuts!!! Our dogs LOVE frozen peas, green beans, and frozen carrots as well. I am so glad that Bella is enjoying her meals again, this just made my heart so incredibly happy!
Donna VETTER says
My dog weighs 8lbs.
Do I feed her only one
Cup per day
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Donna, yes!
Robert Steven says
Thanks meg for sharing! I loved your recipe
meg@thismessisours says
So glad you liked it!
Enci says
Hi I absolutely love the recipe so does my puppy too. I recently lost my 8 years old dog due to congested heart failure. Turns out all the fancy expensive grain free dog food i was feeding them might have been the culprit. That's when I decided to look for better options for my other dog. One question. since I'm feeding him this food he started scratching under his chin. Do you think this is a sign of allergy to one of the ingredients?
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Enci, I am so so sorry to hear about the loss of your sweet dog! That is just tragic! As far as the itching goes, I lean towards thinking you are probably dealing with a food sensitivity. You may want to just check in with your vet about testing to be safe. The top 5 (in order) foods that dogs can be allergic to are beef, dairy, wheat, chicken, & egg. If it were me, I would swap the beef if that is what you are using currently for ground turkey or chicken. See if that helps, if there is still itching it may be the eggs. Please, keep me posted on how y'all are doing and what you figure out with the itching!
Katr says
I was burned out on cooking after 50 years of it so cooking for my dogs was something I was determined to avoid. However the gross inconsistencies in the quality of foods I'm seeing in overpriced, over marketed foods from one case to the very next has me convinced manufacturers are messing with batches for their bottom line. I no longer trust any of them and my dogs have been trying to tell me that for over a year. So cooking I am and maybe I'll even get back to cooking for myself again. Thanks for uncomplicated, healthy recipes and my dogs send a tail wag to you!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness - GOOD FOR YOU!! Your comment just lit up my day and made me so happy - thank you so very much. Your pups are lucky to have you.
Jenny Llacer says
Thank you so much for a balanced and straightforward doggie food recipe! Our Willie is 9 or 10 years old and is usually a very playful and affectionate Maltipin rescue. We just nursed him through a sad month of pain and lethargy from his first bout of hip osteoarthritis. I’m so grateful that he got through it and now I can make him healthier food that I’m hoping will help to spare him from other illness down the road. Maybe he will also keep up his exercise and lose a pound so he doesn't need to carry excess weight. He is 17 pounds and I add the Dog Greens, his CBD and a joint supplement. I freeze 2 cup portions to feed him 1 cup twice a day. And now he loves his food so much, no more coaxing to eat processed food! At first he balked as if he couldn’t believe I was letting him have all this “human” food! Once he realized it was really for him he dove right in and we never have to worry that he won’t love it! What a relief for all of us to get away from processed dog food. I’ve made 2 batches already and even though I don’t love to cook regularly I love doing this.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness what great news!! I do love cooking for my digs too - it is so rewarding to see how happy they are to dive into their meals. Our dogs use CBD as well and it has been a huge help for our senior dg's arthritis. Keep up the good work and keep us posted how you and Willie are doing!
Jeanne B says
Looks delicious I’m excited my dog has very itchy skin and gets frequent ear infections. He’s 13 pounds how much is a serving for him? Should I use ground sirloin? Or venison?
Thank you!
Cheryl says
I would try 3/4 cup each meal. My 8 lb yorkie eats 1/2 cup.
J. Cruise says
I have a Shih tzu also and want to start him on homecooked food, just because I feel it’s healthier, but just don’t know where to start to make it a well balanced meal. How much of each food group should I include? What supplements does he need? Can you give me any advice please.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi!! How exciting for you and your pup! Take a deep dive into the blog post as it covers everything from nutrition, to feeding amounts, advice for transiting your go to a home cooked diet and supplement recommendations. If you still have questions regarding any of those after taking a peak let me know here in the comments and I will get an answer for you.
Kara says
Do I need to cook the veggies as well?
meg@thismessisours says
No need to cook them.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! Everything you need to know to get started is in the body of this blog post. I have also included links to our other homemade dog food recipes where there is even more information. Happy cooking! Your pup will be so happy!
Debbie says
I have a 3 years old Yorkie bichon cross who is the pickiest little girls ever. I have tried so many expensive top of the line dog foods on the market. After a couple of weeks she will turn her nose up at everything. I found your recipe after searching for something different I could try. Well I have been using the recipe for 3 weeks now and she absolutely loves it. I plan on changing it up once in awhile but the base is perfect. Because she now is eating it on a regular basis it has made our lives so much easier regarding bathroom times too. Thank you so much!!!!
Elena says
Hi, I see the serving size is one cup and there are 287 calories per cup. I have an 85 lb golden Retriver and it states on guildelines to keep calories at around 1000-1200 . I see you also have an 85 lb dog and give 8 cups per day, which would be over 2000 calories per day. Is this correct? I just want to make sure I am feeding her enough but not over feeding as she could def lose 10 lbs . We go on 3 mile walks daily . Thank you. Sounds like a great recipe I want to try
RubisMom says
I was wondering the same thing. I also make my 65 lb Rubi's food homemade and the serving size of 8 cups per day is quite a bit more than what I feed my girl. I was thinking maybe it was a typo ?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! Our vet recommended 1 cup of this fresh food for every 10 lbs of body weight. So Rubi would receive 6 1/2 cups of food over the course of the day. You could split that into 2 feeding or 1 large one. We split the feedings because dogs with kidney disease process smaller meals easier. The quantities of dry kibble you would feed vs 100% real human grade food are completely different. For example: Purina says that a dog that is 51 to 75 pounds will need to be fed 2-2/3 to 3-1/3 cups per day. Kibble has more fillers and additives which are hard for a dog's body to process, especially one with kidney disease like ours.
Dana says
Do you serve this warmed up or cold out of fridge? Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! I personally serve it to them cold straight from the fridge, I have heard that some people like to microwave it a bit though.
Sabrina says
Yesterday we got the devastating news that our almost 5 year old shar-pei/lab mix, Beau, has advanced DCM heart failure, and that the grain-free dog food we've had him on may have contributed to the diagnosis. Sadly enough, we lost 2 other dogs in 2016, both to different cancers, so back then we switched to an expensive venison-based kibble that happened to be grain-free, thinking this was a healthier alternative.
In the last few hours since the diagnosis, we've been looking for answers on the internet for possible cures and it looks like changing diet is the best shot at it. Just wondering if you have any knowledge, or have been in contact with anyone who's dealt with this disease and maybe had some success? Or possibly a different variant of your recipie better suited for heart failure. It seems to us that home cooked dog food is the answer, just not sure exactly how to make it work
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Sabrina! I am so sorry for the news about Beau and for the loss of your other dogs. That is just heartbreaking to me. I haven't had any experience personally cooking for a dog with heart disease, but I do feel like a diet based on real, whole foods as opposed to a processed diet is a great place to start. Dogs with heart disease definitely need a low sodium diet - I would look at the treats you are feeding as well. I have read that sweet potato dog treats are good for dogs with heart disease and our dogs LOVE them, so hopefully that will help you too.
Arden says
What as t wo UK ld a wild eat
Therese says
My Doberman Sheba lived 3 years after being diagnosed with DCM. I would cook her food. I used bison as my choice of meat, with rice and veggies. I also had her on Omegas, CoQ10 and I had her on another supplement, right now mind drawing a blank. I had to go to a hollistic vet to give me the dosage based on her weight she was 80 lbs. DCM did not kill her she died from liver cancer three yrs and 2 months from her DCM diagnosis. She had dobie incontinence and was on medicine PPA, it is a long name. I don't know if that played a part or not or the years of her being on regular expensive kibble, but make the changes now. It will make a difference. My dog went to vet for reg checkup in April prior to liver cancer discovery and the vet was shocked at how good her heart sounded he couldn't believe that she had DCM I told him yes and I had the echogram to prove it unfortunately. It will not be cheap as I spent hundreds a month on the supplements and I would do again!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Therese - you and sweet Sheba went through the ringer! I am so sorry to hear about her health issues and just feel so heart broken that you don't still have her with you. Thank you for your encouragement about ditching the processed food. It is more effort and often more of a financial investment as well, but it is so worth it in the end for these dogs!
Pina Sansalone says
Hi! This recipe sounds great! Just one question, usually when I change my dog’s kibble, I introduce the new food slowly, 1/4,1/2,3/4, 1 cup swap over 2 weeks. How can I feed my dog this recipe a few times a week but still keep his kibble meals? Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Pina! This is a great question - for the first year of our puppy, Rebel's, life we actually did something similar to what is ousted like you interested in doing. We adopted her at 6 months old, so she was used to a kibble diet. At first, she would get small amounts of this fresh food mixed in with her puppy kibble at each feeding. We started with 1/4 cup of the food mixed in with the dry kibble and worked our way up to a 50/50 mix. I hope this helps, let m know if you have any more questions and I hope your pup loves the recipe!
Anonymous says
Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
You are so welcome!
Leslye says
Hi! I have 8 dogs, 7 border collies and, the boss, 1 dachshund. I have been feeding them a homemade diet since October. Thanks to you, I now also top each meal with the Patriot Greens and I rest easier knowing I haven't missed a single vitamin they may need! Our meals consist of chicken, spinach, carrots and barley. Three times a week we add bits of apple. Occasionally we add some eggs or salmon on top just to change things up. We top with the Greens and squirts of Omega 3 Fish Oil. Everyone is doing great and looks fantastic, but I worry about my 3 who are the most active of all. I'm afraid all of my babies needed to lose weight, and that was one reason we started the homemade diet. These 3 most active ones are losing too rapidly, in my opinion. Any suggestions on what I could add to their meals to give them more fat, if needed?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi!! It is wonderful to hear what you are doing for your dogs and that they are responding so positively! I often feed our dogs pumpkin yogurt bowls, the Greek yogurt is a great source of protein and healthy fat. Our older dog Hooch was overweight when we started feeding him this diet and he quickly leaned out, but has been maintaining a healthy weight and high energy level since the weight loss.
Leslye says
Thank you so much! Our skinny-ninnies will get pumpkin yogurt bowls for breakfast!!! I love your blog!!
Kara says
I have one more question. The yogurt and pumpkin bowls is that in place of a morning meal or is that just a snack in between meals? Thank you
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Kara! Sorry for my delayed response - we had a tornado here 4 weeks ago and are still without internet!!! Yes, the yogurt bowls are a supplement to the amount of daily food that we feed, not a treat.
Maggie says
Gosh, can’t believe I have just found you. Thank you . You have done all the hard work.
Just a few questions if I may, my dog has had cholangitus , high liver enzymes and bilirubin. But after meds and milk thistle it has come right down. I have had to feed her a vet prescription low fat diet ... kibble and wet. (She ate it mo probs, but I wasn’t happy) that condition seems to have resolved itself, but on wed she is having a pancreatitus test And although vet said we cannot go back to raw feeding, and I won’t, I don’t want to feed her this vet prescription diet any more. She is a nine year old cockerpoo, spayed, and full,of life again. So .. vet says I need to feed low ish fat, moderate protein , lowish carbs no sugar, low salt .... can’t remember what else. Do yiu think yiur food could fit the bill or cld I add or take away ... I really like,the recipe. Also, when prepared, can I freeze it in portions like Butternut Box food do ... they light steam their veg .thank yiu so much for all help. Maggie
meg@thismessisours says
Hy Maggie - so sorry for my delayed response! Wow, you and your pup have been through so much! In short, yes I think this recipe and our other recipes will help you. Raw diet can be very hard on a dog's body as they can suffer from the same food borne illnesses as we do and if the food isn't prepared correctly or sits for even a bit too long that can spell very real trouble. None of our recipes contain salt so you are good there and you can change the protein depending on what your dogs's needs are.
Yes, you can freeze individual portions - they can either be thawed in the fridge until ready to eat or heated up slightly.
Anonymous says
Great recipe but by the time I read the recipe I realized it takes less time to prep and cook the dog food than what it did to actually read everything to get to the recipe.
meg@thismessisours says
Well, I am glad the recipe is easy to prep! Ha! We have tried to include as much information as possible to help people if needed, but whenever you need the recipe just look for the "jump to recipe" button at the top of the page. It will scroll you right down to it.
Terri Courtney says
Made this for the first time tonight. I have a 12 year old schnauzer mix abd I felt terrible every time she looked at her dry dog food and walked away. I just recently started looking at home made dog food. Our dog is super active still and I want her to be around for a long time! How long will this stay fresh in the fridge?
meg@thismessisours says
Terri, I am so glad that you found this recipe and I hope your sweet dog loves it! I keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days at time. Any more than that it should be frozen.
DIANA says
My Marley, 8 year old Shih-poo has all of a sudden become so picky with his food that no matter what type of DOG food I offered, he'd walk away. This has been driving me nuts. Yesterday I decided, since I was going food shopping, I started looking for homemade recipes. So I decided, what the heck, he loves chicken, carrots, zuccine, and loves loves rice. I bought all the ingredients and gave it a try. so far both times I offered him the new food.... BRAVO, his face did not come out of the bowl until he got every last speck of food. Today I made a medium pot of this new food, portioned it out and made individual baggies and put them in the freezer. keeping my fingers crossed that he continues to love it.
I'm looking for some variation because he gets bored of the same food all the time. Got any ideas?
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness, I am so glad that Marley loved it!! Our dog's prefer a little variety, so we feed them this recipe and a turkey and veggie version that is studded with fresh cranberries - they LOVE it! They also love yogurt and pumpkin bowls for breakfast! I hope these links give you some more recipe ideas and please come back and let me know how you and Marley are doing!
Tracie says
My dogs are 16 years old. One has severe arthritis and just has no appetite. I hand fed her the top, expensive canned dog food and it's a chore. My other dog wanted the same thing but wad getting tired of it. So I came across your recipe and was very skeptical. I gave it to them and both devoted it! I can't believe Aly (the one with severe arthritis) put her head in the bowl! I was ecstatic to say the least. But was skeptical about the second feeding but it went just as well! They love it! Thank you so much! I am going to try different meats.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Tracie!!! This is such great news, I am beyond thrilled to hear things are going well and your sweet pup is enjoying the food! I hope that she continues to enjoy meal time, please keep me posted on how y'all are doing ok?!
Tracie says
So my dogs stop eating this after a few days. So disappointing.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh no Tracie!! I am so sorry, I just hate to hear that! I know it is more work, but if it were me and my dog Hooch, I would give rotating 2 versions of food from day to day a try. Maybe the different flavors of the food and slightly different textures would keep your sweet dog interested. Who knows, it might be worth a shot! I have a turkey and veggie version of this homemade recipe that our dogs really love too if you want to give it a shot. Sending all of our love to you and your dog!!
Tracie says
Thanks! I'm going to try
Dennie says
I have a Yorkie Bichon cross named Willow. She is 3 years old. I have tried so many different and expensive dog foods. She would walk away from everything after a week or so. It was so hard to keep her on a,schedule. I found your recipe by chance and I am so happy I did. I followed your recipe exactly as written. She has been on it now for over 3 weeks and she absolutely loves it. What a joy!!!! I am going to change it up once awhile but I could not be happier.
Sarah Ryan says
I am excited to try this. Do you think I could vacuum seal and freeze a bunch?
meg@thismessisours says
You could totally do that!
Tina E Muhs says
Love this one!! I’ve used other recipes however this one is simple and one of my pups is allergic to many things. So this works great. I just used chicken instead, and green beans for picky eaters 😏 I also used coconut oil.
meg@thismessisours says
Tina these swaps sound delicious!!! My dogs would really dig the green beans, they munch on those like no bodies business!
Neva Edmonson says
So excited to have found this recipe and your wonderful tips! I have a 3 year old Shorkie that has been on Farmer's Dog for about 2 years now. He loves it but it's pricey even considering my pup is only 4 lbs it still costs nearly $100 a month. I'm so excited to try this recipe, his last shipment of FD will be running out soon. One question, in your paragraph about herbs you said curly, not flat leaf parsley but in the ingredient list it says flat leaf parsley. Just want to be sure I get the right kind!🙂
meg@thismessisours says
WHOA!!! That is a huge investment Neva, I had no idea those food services were so pricey! I definitely couldn't afford that for our dogs with how much food they eat. I am SO glad you found our recipe, it will definitely save you money! Oh shoot - thank you for catching that!! I will fix that typo now, that was a mistake on my end. Definitely look for curly!
Andrea says
Thank you so much for your hard work in putting together this information for us pet owner's who are caring for our pup's with kidney disease. First, these recipes and related info are super helpful. Second, it is so validating to know that what I have been doing aligns almost exactly to what you are doing. Ted LOVES his homemade food and eats better than he ever did on regular dog food.
The one question I have for you is, when you state the amount your dogs eat each day, does this mean your dog eats a total of 8 cups of food per day, or do you mean to say that he gets 4 cups, split into two 2-cup servings per day.
I ask because my 15 pound dog gets 1 cup of food, which we split into 4 servings per day (plus natural treats - he is a treat dog, for sure). This aligns to what you are doing, but I just wanted to clarify because Ted seems to be hungry all day. Our vet says it is because he loves the food - who wouldn't love to eat like this? But, he begs worse than ever. I am just wondering if we are not giving enough food. Would love your thoughts (even though I know you are not a vet). Did your dogs enjoy eating more after you switched to homemade? I just don't understand the begging.
Thank you again for this supportive content. Ted and I thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Andrea!! I am so sorry it took me a bit to get back to you - we have been slammed with virtual school and work and I am just now digging through comments.
I am SO glad that you found our recipe and that the information is helping you! The fact that you have already made the transition to a human food diet already is such great news too.
To answer your question, Yes we split his meals up into 2 meals per day - its easier for the kidney's to process smaller meals like this instead of feeding him all at once which is harder in their bodies. I tried to do 3, but our schedule just doesn't permit it at this point. My dog's are both chow hounds and are always willing to eat. My vet basically said that if he seems ravenous I can give him a bit more food and it won't hurt. We are all unique and so are they, Ted may just need a little bit more to make him feel satisfied.
I also think that now my dg's know how delicious human food is they always want in on what's happening. We keep little snack bowls around to treat them through out the day and it seems to help a lot! Our dog's both love dehydrated sweet potato treats, unsweetened banana chips, raw cashews, and apple slices. So, I treat them throughout the day with those things pretty regularly.
You can also try is adding a few teaspoons of plain Greek yogurt to your dog's meal for an added protein boost that will help fill him up a bit. Also a teaspoon or two of canned plain pumpkin is wonderful too! It adds fiber and is filling.
I hope this helps you and Ted out!!! Be sure to come back and let m know how it works out ok?!
Anonymous says
Four cups each serving
Caro says
I've been feeding my 11 year old dog home cooked foods for 2 months now, she is crazy for it. I feed her your required qty divided in 3 meals with a small snack at night. Everyday like clockwise she waits by the fridge - she now can tell what time it is 😉
I alternate ground beef and chicken thighs every other week and add a bit of chicken liver. I started with your recipe and it was so helpful as a starting point so thank you! I find she likes it more cooked in a crock pot, the veggies taste like meat this way ;). Hopefully this diet will add many years to her life on earth.
meg@thismessisours says
Caro this is so funny, our dogs can tell time now too!!! They literally go sit in the kitchen when the sun hits a certain point in the sky. hahaha! I love hearing your variations and will definitely give your crockpot trick a try!
Joann says
we have a senior pup and a young adult pup. Will I need to give them supplements with this food?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Joann! I give both our senior dog and our 1 year old pup the same Dog Greens powdered supplement I mentioned in teh blog post and they bth are doing great with it! I had their labs checked at their annual physical and they are both thriving! Hope this helps!
JezMez says
This looks amazing and making fresh food for our Roxie, who is a 35 lb mutt and has had stomach issues and horrible fish breath her whole life (she’s 9 now) as well as irritated gums, has been on my mind for a long time. We are pescatarians, though, so could we opt for occasional fish for her instead of meat? And my big concern is the transition. Should we convert straight to this way of eating or ease her into it? Thanks so much!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi!! I haven't ever prepared fish for our dogs, but after a little research I found that Tuna, salmon, whitefish, cod and whiting (also known as hank) are all good fish for dogs to eat! Plain, cooked, steamed, or grilled versions of these fish is fine for dogs to eat in moderation. Too much fish can lead to obesity, so I would consult your vet about the appropriate serving sizes of fish for your dog, especially if you plan to feed it as a regular part of her diet.
You definitely need to ease your dog into the transition no matter what diet you switch over too. A gradual change over the course of a week or longer is best, so their tummies don't get upset!
I hope this helps!!!
JezMez says
Thank you so much!
Rob says
Hey, cant wait to try this recipe for my 2yr old Poochon who has been suffering with an on-going ear infection. A couple of questions, the nutritional info above has protein at 46% but reading the comments someone has suggested its 50% and you have advised thats way too high.. but this is 46% which doesnt seem much difference?
Also, i’ve had a read of parsley for dogs and seen its been advised to use curly not flat, any advice on that?
Thanks in advance and i appreciate you sharing your recipe and experiences with us. X
meg@thismessisours says
Hi! So, our recipe card on the site pulls information for a human based diet and its all a bit confusing, so for that I apologize. there is no way for me to pull that nutritional calculator out of the recipe card. There is a great homemade dog food nutrition calendar online that allow you to enter the specific information for your dog and the ingredients you are using. It is way more accurate.
I was so perplexed by parsley when I was doing my research, but it is true that you should use curly parsley. The ASPCA claims that both Hamburg and Italian parsley are toxic, but really this is only true in large amounts. To be safe I just always go with curly - it's super easy to find too!
Lynn MacQuarrie says
WOW! I adopted a 2 1/2 year old Doberman mix 10 days ago. She is not food motivated. She would barely eat kibble even mixed with wet or a little cheese. A very discerning eater as I couldn't get her to eat even one full meal a day. That is, until I made your recipe (which is very easy to make. I chop the parsley, then cooked eggs in my food processor, grate in the carrots and then add everything to the pot of cooked beef.). Now two full meals a day and not a grain of rice left in the bowl!! We both thank you!!!
meg@thismessisours says
Lynn you just made our day!!! We are so happy that this recipe makes mealtime enjoyable for you and your new dog! Thank you so much for taking the time to rate the recipe and share your experience, it means the world to us!
Carole says
Hi there, I have a 12 week old standard poodle and wondering if I should use the following chart as a guideline: https://topdogtips.com/how-much-homemade-dog-food-to-feed-my-dog/. 990 calories for puppies which means that I should feed her 3.4 cups per day? You're feeding your dog 8 cups per day and so that means that he gets 2296 calories per day? Hoping someone can help me with this until I find a dog nutritionist. She doesn't seem to tolerate chicken or salmon and so I thought this recipe would work well.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Carole, wow that article is intense and super informative thank you for sharing it with me! I go by my vet's recommendation which is 1 cup per every 10lbs of body weight. Your fastest and safest bet would just to be to call and leave a message for your vet to help you figure out the proper amount to feed your dog. Mine always gets back to me fairly quickly through her vet tech and it saves me from a Google frenzy and keeps us both in the know of what is happening with our dogs. I know that wasn't the answer you were seeking, but I hope it helps! When I am confused or concerned I always fall back on my vet for help.
Amy says
How would you say this compares to the cost of kibble? Obviously it’s more economical than ridiculously priced specialty food, but how about your average dog food?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Amy! We were on a super expensive rx diet and had a puppy on a top end puppy kibble when we last bought processed dog food, so for us the savings is quite a lot. However, i need to do the math next time I shop for everything to really wrap my head around a cost comparison. As soon as I rep in supplies I will come back to you here with an answer!
adeq says
dehydrated sweet potato treats
Dee says
I made this recipe today for my pups and they love it. I would like to know how long it will be good for in the fridge?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Dee!! I am so glad that they like it so much! You can keep this in the fridge for up to 4 days, if you plan to keep it past that I would suggest freezing it in portions.
Laura says
I’ve been making a similar recipe for some time. I put brown rice, 3-4 eggs, frozen peas and carrots, and turmeric as it’s anti inflammatory (3 tablespoons per batch), in a rice cooker and cook altogether. I then cook beef or ground Turkey and mash and mix all of it together when it’s done along with olive oil. I leave egg shells on but mash finely. Source of calcium. My dog was near death and bounced back when we switched.
meg@thismessisours says
Laura that is incredible to hear about your dog's recovery!! It is amazing how they bounce back after the change - our dog was diagnosed stage 4 kidney disease when we started our transition a little over a year ago and now he has zero indicators of the disease in his body! It is such a miracle the power of real, whole foods!
Melissa says
Made this for my pup today, he absolutely loved it! I’m trying to wean him off his dry food and switch completely over to home cooked food, this was the perfect recipe! Thanks!
meg@thismessisours says
I am so glad you a nd your pup are loving teh recipe Melissa!! That makes us so happy!
Robin says
maybe i missed it, but what is the caloric intake per cup?
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Robin, the nutritional calculator we use for our site that is attached to our recipe box on the page is geared towards the human diet. I found a caloric calculator for homemade dog food recipes on the bark.com and it seems really super helpful. https://thebark.com/content/homemade-dog-food-calorie-calculator Let me know if you give it a try and what you think!
Bobbie Hulsey says
I have a 10 yr old diabetic dog with a history of bladder stones (she’s had 2 surgeries for stones). She eats a very expensive food I buy from the Vet. Would your recipe be a good choice for her?
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Bobbie, so sorry to hear about your dogs health issues! Since I am not a vet and not familiar with bladder issues in dog's I'm hesitant to say. What I can tell you is that we went to our vet when our dog was diagnosed as being in stage 4 kidney failure and talked extensively about diet options with her. Ultimately, after researching a ton I settled upon this recipe for my dog's and she approved it. If I was in your shoes, I would give my vet a call and see what their take on it is. It's always best to check with them first before any major changes, but I feel you completely on the expensive prescription diet. The one they prescribed our dog was astronomically priced and he hated it!
P maresca says
9 yr old George was fed high quality food always. Got him at age 5. Suddenly in the spring he was coughing, vomiting food, gagging. Several vet visits later it still persisted even though they found nothing. I started this recipe, he loves it and the symptoms have pretty much disappeared. George is a maltipoo, 14 lbs. Thank you, I was encouraged by a friend.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness!!! I am so happy for George and for you! Thank you so much for coming back and telling us your experience, it means so much to us!
Judy Bullard says
I’ve been wanting to put my one year old chi weenie on a homemade diet for quite a while. I don’t transitioning will be hard as he prefers people food. Green beans being his favorite. My son switched his red healer to homemade food which has done wonder for her itching and skin problems.
meg@thismessisours says
It sounds like you have an easy diet transition!! That is awesome! Our dog's have the healthiest skin and coats, we've been feeding this way for 18 months now. Our older dog used to have mild skin and hair issues, but not any longer.
Stacy says
I have made this recipe and my rocket just loves it! I do have a question. If I change from hamburger 2 chicken or turkey will it affect his digestion in a not-so-good way?
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Stacy!! Great question and I am so glad that your Rocket loves this recipe!! So, I can change up between ground beef and ground turkey with zero issue. For some reason my older dog doesn't do that great with chicken - but it should be fine for most pups considering how many dog foods it is in.
Rebecca Gallagher says
Have been making this food for several weeks and my dog (100lb Golden) loves it. Yes, he's (we) on a diet and this recipe has helped...he's probably down 5-6 pounds. He loves it so much that he sits behind me whining, when I'm in the kitchen cooking it. I've made a few adjustments, and all I have left is to buy the vitamins/minerals. I'm learning to double the batch so I can store some in the freezer. Question, tho...do I need to puree the veggies or is it okay to leave them raw/slightly cooked? Thank you!
meg@thismessisours says
This is so great to hear Rebecca!! I love hearing how happy your pup is since transitioning to this diet. No need to puree the veggies unless you dog has some sort of tooth issues that would prevent him from chewing the ingredients. Grated carrots are really tender, so our pups have zero issue.
Sonia T. says
I blend my dog’s vegetables after noticing that the veggies in his stool sample were still whole. I read o line from a vet that if this is happening, your dog is not getting the nutritional benefits of the veggies. By blending them, your dog will receive all the nutrients. That’s been my experience. My lab mix is 14 years old and has liver cancer. We rescued him almost 3 years ago and was diagnosed over a year ago. Since switching to homemade food, he is doing much better, despite the terminal diagnosis. Good luck with your pet.
meg@thismessisours says
That is super interesting Sonia and such a great tip!!! I think because we grate the carrots with a box grater they are small enough pieces that they aren't whole when our dogs go potty. But, I can see how this would be a problem if the vegetables weren't chopped small enough. Thank you so much for sharing!
K says
Thank you so much for posting this! One of our dogs passed this summer and our other has drastically slowed down since. Blood tests came back and he has kidney failure. Tonight I cooked him a version of what you made and he ate more food than I’ve seen him eat in months. Will be continuing to cook for him. Feel guilty I haven’t all along!!! We are getting another rescue next month and hoping to cook for them both. Is this recipe good for all dogs to be on? Thanks!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi K!! I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your dog over the summer and the decline in your other pup's health. That is just heart breaking! We feed both of our dog's this recipe - we started adding a ground organ meat supplement to our younger dog's food each day a few months ago. With kidney disease it's important to reduce phosphorous, but for an otherwise healthy dog organ meats are super beneficial! We have been using Four Leaf Rover's Guts & Glory supplement which is grass fed organ meat and glands. Rebel really likes the flavor and Just received a clean bill of health at her yearly check up. If you want to try it you can use my referral code for $10 off your first order here: https://prz.io/gqGqYQ0HO If for some reason that company is sold out you can also get it here directly from the manufacturer https://fourleafrover.com/collections/products/products/guts-glory
K says
Awesome, thanks so much!! Thank you for your well wishes for the pups ❤️
Michele Brown says
I just wanted to say thank you!! My three girls were on Freshpet. I felt they were healthy. Now, it is hard to find and very expensive. With your wonderful recipies I am now making my dogs' food. They love the pumpkin and yogurt recipe. I place a few cranberries and a mint and drizzle a little honey and they have a gourmet dessert! I can't even describe how healthy their coats are. One dog had discusting breath. After two days she can breath on me and it is neutral. You have truly changed our lives
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Michele, I am so glad you are having such a wonderful experience that just makes my heart SO happy!!! Please, keep me posted on how you and your pups are doing!!
Greg Castle says
I have 2 big 18 month newfie pups and a 10 year old Black chow chow~~and have been making homemade dog food for about 5 mos now and they love it~~basic recipe I pressure cook fresh pumpkin from Halloween~ grain chicken organs celery carrots brown rice lentils dry split peas black beans what ever grain and meat ~ that is on sale when pressure cooking i don't have to cut the veges up to much ~ not all grains and meats in ea recipe ~ I give them a variety and make about 3 ~ 8 qt cookers of food a week~ I add enzymes from farm and fleet an omega pill and Vitamin b pill also 1/2 tea dry 10~mushroom powder a bit of olive oil and a teaspoon of sea Kelp~~ they all love it even to old chow is acting more like a puppy now with new life~~there poo ~ went from mushy to solid I'm still experimenting with amounts and reading blogs to get ideas of what I'm doing right and wrong, but feel any effort has to be better the dry dog food, ~~ I also am losing weight myself as I'm eating more brown rice and veges that i have on hand~~I'm a retired chef so its been a fun hobby making healthier food for them and for me~~i don't make it for other dog's as i don't want to be liable ~ but I see happy healthier dog's all the way around~~have a happy Holiday 🎅🎄❄🐶🐶🐶
Jackie Taylor says
Hi
Can you tell me what one cup equates to in grammar please?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jackie! Next time I make dog food I will weigh it out and report back. 🙂
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jackie,
Here are the measurements in grams for you!
790 grams cooked organic brown rice
700 grams ground lean beef, cooked through, fat drained
4 (200 grams) hard boiled eggs, peeled and diced small
207 grams carrots, shredded or thinly sliced
14 grams minced flat leaf parsley
22 grams of olive or safflower oil
Michelle says
Thanks for the great recipe, Meg. It is the recipe for homemade dogfood from Damn Delicious states that it is 50% protein, 25% vegetables and 25% grains. What a previous commenter might not have understood is that meat is not 100% protein, so the 50% protein in the recipe is the percentage of the recipe that is made up of a protein source, not the percentage of protein in the source. (Is that confusing enough!) One ounce of lean ground beef has 5.6 grams of protein. Dogs need 1 gram/lb of body weight. My 24 lb dog requires 24 grams of protein a day or 4 oz of ground beef. My source is Daily Puppy: Calculations for homemade dogfood - a good source if anyone is unsure about how much to substitute of other vegetables or grains.
meg@thismessisours says
Thank you for this Michelle! Wow - Daily Puppy sounds like a great source I will have to check that out, thank you!!! It is all so confusing, which is why I relied heavily on our vet when we were initially developing the recipe. I appreciate your feedback so much!
Colleen Hearn says
Went searching today for an easy, straight forward, wholesome alternative to dry food and found you! We have a Standard Poodle who will be 11 on Christmas Day and I made the decision that I need to change his diet. He has been hit and miss with his dry food and has had bouts of tummy upsets since he was a pup. This recipe makes it look very easy. Will make a batch today, and he will love it.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Colleen!! I hope your sweet dog enjoyed the recipe and I hope he has a Happy Birthday!!!
Frances McLean says
Thanks for the recipe. I plan on getting some stuff and the grocery store for my two little ones tomorrow. I use to make my own when my 2 chihuahuas were pups. But after taking in three rescues I started getting the refrigerated pet food for easy meals. Now I’m down to two. I just lost one of those little girls yesterday from kidney failure. I had her for almost 13 yrs and my whole world is shattered. I feel more driven to making these last two there own healthful meals. My baby girl got sick and 3 1/2 weeks later she was gone. I can’t handle any more loss. I do know refrigerator dog food was better then the can dog food out there. Do you think homemade is even better then the fresh refrigerated? Thanks again for the recipe!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Frances!! I am SO sorry for your loss, that is just devastating! Our Hooch was diagnosed with kidney failure which led to this recipe. My goodness, you only had a short time - again please know how sorry I am for your loss! I can't say for certain which is better - refrigerated or homemade as I am not a vet. I do however wholeheartedly believe that fresh is bets and the closer the food is to its natural form and the fresh it is the more nutrients it has to offer both humans and animals alike. For me, there is no question for us, homemade is teh way to go. But, that doesn't mean its the only way or the best way it is just what has worked for us with our experience.
Debbie says
Hi there, I have 3 Shorkies. One is over weight. I’ve been feeding them Life Abundance as recommended by my Vet. He feeds it to his dogs. Yet I’ve read while processing dry food at high temperatures that it kills the nutrients. I’ve thought about making the food, but was worried about what to put in it. I would like to know if the food can be frozen once made and served as needed? I would find that much easier to make with my busy schedule.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Debbie I didn't even know what type of a dog a Shortie was, but I am so glad you gave me the opportunity to have a deep dive on Google! What cute pups!!! I agree with you about being concerned about teh processes that dog foods (both low quality and higher grade vet recommended ) go through! I was just as concerned! YES, you can absolutely freeze the food. Its probably easiest to measure out in portions and freeze then just pull as much as you need, when you need it!
Lisa U says
Are the carrots raw in this recipe?
meg@thismessisours says
Yes they are raw.
Madison Finley says
Awesome post! I can't wait to try this. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
meg@thismessisours says
You are so welcome Madison! If you give it a try please come back and let me know in the comments by rating and reviewing the recipe. Those comments and reviews help Google point other people to this page for their pups too!
Jennie Barbarino says
Thank You, Our Plott-Lab Puppy Loves your recipe! Our Pup brought up her dry food one evening, I was horrified to see how the food expanded. How can this be healthy for a dog? Right now, we are giving her 25% dry food in the morning the rest is fresh food. I think she's much happier and not bloated at all! One question- I re-heat the food in the microwave for 30 seconds to take the chill out, is this okay? <3 Our Zoie thanks you!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jennie! How lucky your sweet pup is that you recognized this and are making a transition. Our older dog always had horrible bloat and gas issues on any type of kibble no matter what we did. He doesn't have that issue at all with this recipe! You can absolutely microwave it for a bit to take the chill out - our dogs love a warmed bowl of food too! If you wouldn't mind giving the recipe a star rating I would really appreciate it! Those comments and reviews help Google point other people to this page that are searching for alternatives for their pups too!
Janice says
I've been thinking about doing this for far too long! Thanks for the recipe and guidelines. I have been winging it for 4 days now using many of the ingredients you have mentioned. Why: Anna the lab mix had the worst breath! She was a poop eater as a puppy, so I kept blaming it on that (maybe she still sneaks a bite or two). But there is no real evidence she is still doing that. We fed her premium dog food. In every way (except her breath) she is ultra healthy. She can run 16 miles with my husband and still want to play frizbee. After only 2 days of "people food" her breath had improved. After 4 days she is so much better. I'm sad it took me so long to finally make the shift, but I'm convinced now!!!!
meg@thismessisours says
WOW Janice! No way, that is INCREDIBLE!!! Thank you smooch for taking the time to come back and comment, rate, and let me know about your experience. I am always so fascinated hearing how this recipe is changing lives. Big hugs to Anna with her fresh breath from us!!
Brooke says
Oh wow! This recipe is magic. My dogs are the pickiest eaters in the world. We have tried so many dog foods, wet, dry, toppers, and nothing has worked, until now. They loved it and were wanting more. This is definitely something that is worth doing, and that I will be doing in the near future. Thank you so much, I am so exited that they are eating and enjoying what they are eating!
meg@thismessisours says
Brooke that is amazing news!! Thank you for taking the time to comment, rate the recipe, and let me know how teh food has worked for you and your dogs. It really means so much to me!
Laura says
This recipe looks amazing. I was trying to find ways myself to begin a healthier homemade diet for my 2 Goldendoodles (60lb & 40 lb), 2 rat terrier mixes (18lb & 24lb), and 1 cocker spaniel. (35lb) I was wondering how much food does this recipe yield approximately where I could get a better idea on figuring out what I would need to plan on making for 177 lb's of babies per day...LOL.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Laura! Wow you really have your hands full of cute pups over there!! The amount varies based on what size carrots and eggs you are using which is why I do not have an amount listed, but next time I make a batch (which should probably be tomorrow) I will measure it out for you in cups and let you know!
Martyna says
Could we portion it, freeze it and then feeding it frozen to our dogs?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Martyna,
You can absolutely portion it and freeze it, however I would suggest thawing before feeding, at least partially. When I freeze it I always pull what I need from the fridge for the current feeding that day and then pull the next day's frozen portion up from the freezer into the fridge.
Tiffani Pierce says
Just switched my aussie and german shepherd over to this!! my aussie had stomach issues with commercial processed foods and i do not trust what they are eating in them! and my german shepherd needs a highly balanced diet! They have already been on supplements which i’m now adding into this good! truly amazing and they absolutely love it. my aussie eats it right when i give him it, which he never did before. thank you for sharing!!
meg@thismessisours says
That is amazing Tiffani!!! I am so glad to know that your Aussie is happier eating this food than the previous foods you tried. Our pups stomach issues all went away after starting him on this diet. He is literally thriving when according to his original diagnosis we shouldn't even have him here with us anymore. Thank you for taking the time to comment and review this recipe, it helps others find this post that need it!
Nean says
First, I want to say that I have been wanting to make my 2 canines home cooked foods for years, I have a 4 year old female Siberian Husky, and a Male mix Pitbull/Black Mouth Curr.
The husky can be quite temperamental per finicky eating, the Curr will eat anything. Being a cook myself and knowing my way around a kitchen and preparing wholesome foods for my own family, I found myself being quite intimidated with making my own dog food, Until i came upon this Blog of yours, I want to say thank you, for giving me the boost I needed and resources to break through a new world of cooking for my fur babies. I started them on this home cooked meal (of course I started slowly) and I have to tell you, My husky begs me for her meals in the morning and at night, she loves it so much that she will eat slowly and savor every bit of it. I also made the blend of spices you recommended to sprinkle on their food, neither of them seem to mind it in there diet either. the only thing I have left to do is buy the dog green's. I am looking forward to cooking up the other recipes you've posted. Thank you again for inspiring me to allow my pups a healthier happier life.
meg@thismessisours says
Nean, oh my goodness how exciting!!!! I love stories like yours - we should all enjoy eating, even our sweet pups and I am so glad that yours is LOVING this recipe!
Alma Llanos says
Hi I’m new to the dog food recipe game. After I make my batch and refrigerate, do I hear it up or just give it to them cold? Thank you again!
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Alma, you can absolutely feed it cod straight from the fridge!
Dustin says
forgot to rate the recipe 😛
Kimberly Coppage says
Thank yiu for sharing this recipe!
I'm getting ready to try it, but wanted to ask how I should transition from raw to this way of eating?
Should I gradually mix it in with his raw a little more each day? Or, since it's cooked give it at separate times a little more of this and less of his raw each day?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Kimberly!! Ok, that is a tricky one because dog's digest raw food at a different rate than cooked food or kibble which can lead to tummy upset. I honestly would probably check with the vet for the best way to transition they have probably dealt with it before, Typically you do what you mentioned in your comment - gradually mix it together with teh new food increasing and teh old food decreasing, I am just not sure how raw food plays into the equation. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
Jann says
Thanks so much for your post. I have been looking for a good homemade dog food recipe and now I have found one. I dont know whether this has been asked but can i use frozen diced mixed vegetables in this recipe and how much would you suggest?
meg@thismessisours says
That is a really great question Jann and yes - you totally can! Just make sure that the vegetables in your mix are ok for them to eat. Carrots, peas, and green beans are all great choices, sometimes I just buy small bags and toss one into their weekly batch for a little variety. You could add 2-4 cups to the entire recipe without any problems!
Olivia Borlovan says
Hi,
Thanks so much for posting this recipe! My dog has had acid reflux for the longest time, and I'm at my wits end trying to find a dog food that has grains with ingredients I would deem safe for her. I looked at feeing raw probably a year or two ago and the cost was so much higher than kibble I didn't end up making the switch. I feel like with as expensive as some of the dried foods I was looking at were though I may as well...
When making this recipe, were you able to determine if the correct levels of nutrients, proteins, carbs, fat, ect were being met for a canine's needs?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Olivia, your poor pup! Acid reflux is just so uncomfortable. I do not have a nutritional calculator for a canine's needs to calculate those types of facts for you, but I did approve the recipe with my vet along with the Dog Green's vitamin powder that is mixed in at each feeding. We have been feeding this way for a year almost now within issue, but I do understand your concern with how it all breaks down. Sorry I couldn't be of more help!
Dr M Hughes says
Those kinds of concerns can be overcome with supplementation. I have started feeding my 19 week old Papillon puppy this recipe, as well as another recipe that uses chicken. She also gets a small amount of flax seed as well very good puppy supplements mixed in with her food. Dogs that are being fed a commercial food, even a very good one should also be supplemented.
meg@thismessisours says
Thank you so much for your response Dr Hughes!
Mary says
Thank you so much for posting this recipe! My 14 year old Shih Tzu had become very picky about his food. I have tried several kinds of canned food to go with his kibble only to have him turn his nose up at it(can we say expensive). I stirred up a batch of this for him he ate it like he was starving. It's actually funny to watch him eat because he will take a bite spit it out seperate it (all over the carpet) then eat it like a kid who doesn't want food touching each other on the plate. The only thing I should've done was start him on it slower because he got very loose poops and wasn't a happy boy.
I'm going to try some ot the other ideas in the suggestions see how he likes that, but he will never go back to store bought dog food again.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Mary - your pup is a lucky boy!!! It is super important to start slow and work up when changing diets, but I am so glad to know that he is excited about dinner time. Everyone should enjoy eating!!! Thank you for the 5 star rating, it helps other people on the internet that need this recipe to find it!
Jo-Ann says
Hello,
I hope all is well. My dog Fetch as recently diagnosed with kidney disease and was given a prescription for Hills Science Diet today after I asked for it. The vet had indicated that we had to change his diet without giving any resources.
After much thought, I would rather feed him homemade meals and luckily I found your website. Thank you! When I clicked on the link for the Dog Greens, it says that the product is not available. Do you know of a substitute or any other platform to buy it from. Many thanks and be well.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jo-Ann! I am so sorry to hear about your dog, Fetch's diagnosis!! I had a very similar experience when our Hooch was diagnosed. The RX diet was expensive, had a ton of fillers, he didn't like it at all, and I just felt like there must be a better option. I am so glad you found this recipe, it truly changed our lives here! I looked at the links for Dog Greens and it says they are available now - maybe they were out of stock yesterday? Let me know if you have any issues with them at all today when you try again.
Jada says
Thank you for this recipe. I will definitely try it out for my Lhasa Apso Bella. She is extremely picky but luckily she eats the food items in the recipe. We bought dog food and dry food but it's just at home lying there. Can you also recommend some other recipes I can make for her?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jada!! Oh my goodness, I hope Bella loves this recipe!! Everyone should enjoy meal time. I have a few other recipes for our dogs she may like. Our digs are really loving the fall inspired version of our homemade dog food that I shared recently so I think that would be a great next recipe for you and for her! If you give the recipe a try and have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
HT says
I've been feeding my Standard Poodle (4 years old and 65lbs) with one of the services that ship frozen food every 2 weeks. I'm impressed with the food, but the cost is too extreme to continue but I won't go back to dry kibble or canned food. I'm curious if I could make a larger batch of this, mix it and freeze it for use. I'd like to make at least 2 weeks at a time so that I'm not having to cook daily. Can you advise as to how long I could freeze a cooked batch
meg@thismessisours says
I agree those mail order fresh food for pet services prices can be ridiculously expensive!You can absolutely freeze this in larger batches and it will keep for months. If you give the recipe a try and have the time I would be so gratefulif you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
Stuart Bailey says
Our soon to be 19 year old Min Pin rescue has elevated Kidney readings. After the Vet visit yesterday I went shopping and got all of the ingredients to make the recipe. She wolfed it down this morning. She has been on Fresh Pet but the veterinarian say that is way to rich for her. Thanks for giving the world the information to keep our pets healthy.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Stuart, I am so glad that your dog liked the recipe and you think that it will work for you!! Your sweet pup is so lucky to have you researching for her!
If you have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
Debbie says
Your recipe sounds wonderful and I am anxious to try it on my dog. I was wondering if there is enough calcium in it. I always wanted to make my own dog food but was always afraid of not meeting all the nutritional needs.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Debbie! I hope your dog really loves this recipe if you give it a try. Rutubaga's are a GREAT source of calcium and dogs can eat as much of them as their little hearts desire. My dogs don't mind it grated raw into their food, but it does have an intense aroma. If you give the recipe a try and have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
Dustin says
So I just cooked this entire recipe and it looks like way too much rice. Then I realized your recipe says "6 cups cooked rice" which is only 2 cups of rice. I cooked 6 cups of rice so now I have 18 cups of cooked rice. For future reference, just put "cook two cups of rice" because now i gotta run and go get 4 more pounds of chicken and 6 more carrots and another bunch of parsley to make up for all this GD rice.
meg@thismessisours says
Dustin, I am so sorry that the recipe as written was a problem for you. It is a standard wording in recipes, but I understand how it may be confusing. I added a note to the recipe card that explains that 6 cups of cooked rice is 3 cups of dry rice. As far as the extra rice goes - teh dog food freezes really well when made in big batches or I do have lots of recipes that call for cooked rice here on This Mess is Ours like my Sheet Pan Fried Rice.
Dustin says
Thanks for the correction! But you're still a little off. The raw to cooked ratio is 1:3. So 2 cups raw rice = 6 cups cooked rice. Your notes say 3 cups raw rice, which would still end up being too much rice (9 cups). As for it being a standard wording in recipes, I've been a chef for 27 years and never seen a recipe that called for cooked rice (other than sushi). Either way, thanks for the recipe!
Dustin says
About to make my second batch!
meg@thismessisours says
Yay that's awesome Dustin!
SandraPearson says
Hi I have been feeding my 2 beautiful girls whom I adopted from the humane society Origen n or Acana. Why because I believed they were the best of the best..only to b FRICKEN found out from research that they 2 are on the LIST of LAW SUITS..not to mention they are FRICKEN EXPENSIVE..I am FRICKEN..NUTS and going MENTAL..WHY because the same list of dog food that are putting them in danger are also on the same list of best foods to feed my GIRLS..I have always had this saying my GIRLS will eat well an d I will be eating sandwiches 🤪 that was true then and that is true now I just started my own homemade dog food not the most knowledgeable just trying to give my GIRLS better than ORIGEN n ACANA..SO GOING FOWARD..HOMEMADE IT IS..AS a human whom took on the responsibility of 2 BEAUTIFUL RHODESIAN RIDGEBACK/PITTBULL mixes..I LOVE 💕 my GIRLS and it is my RESPONSIBILITY to give them the BEST..going forward if I can ingest so will they with a few exceptions..AND I have 2 messages going forward PLEASE..PLEASE..PLEASE think before u decided to bring an animal into your HOME..IT IS A HUGE..BIG..ENORMOUS RESPONSIBILITY..which I failed to comprehend but here I am..suddenly REALIZING what that is being RESPONSIBLE..BUT I ALSO REALIZE THAT I AM ALL IN..FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION..AND I WILL NOT FAIL..We recently put up fencing for the one acreage we have..my BEAUTIFUL BABES get to run in and out as they please..they are also potty trained..fenced trained.. and MOST IMPRESSIVE they listen..sometimes it takes 2 commands..which is awesome considering one of my GIRLS weighs almost 90 pounds..MUCH ALOHA..❤️
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Sandra your girls are so lucky to have you and I can tell just how deeply you love them! I totally feel your frustration with the dog food industry. I am there with you also. I hope your pups love homemade food and our recipe! If you give the recipe a try and have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
Jen says
Hello, I am wondering how many cups of food the 1X batch makes?
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Jen! Great question - I made the recipe again today and it came out to roughly 4 quarts or 16 cups of fresh food. The amount will vary slightly based off of what size eggs you use and how large your carrots are as well.
Jen says
Awesome! Thank you for letting me know.
CAROLYN says
My dogs appreciate your recipe, Thank you, it was especially helpful to have an idea of how much to feed per pound of weight, my pals weigh 20 lbs so they will be getting 1 cup 2 times a day. Roxie had been having trouble with her digestion and now, a week later she is perky and not throwing up or pooping raspberry jam, not scratching either. I suspected the food I was buyiing and tied "sensitive tummy" but that really did not help like the homemade food has.
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Carolyn! You just made my day, I am so glad to know your pups love this recipe and that is helping them with sensitive tummies. If you have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet searching for homemade recipes for their pets find it as well!
Robert says
Thank you for this great meal idea! I make my own dog treats with many of the same ingredients, rolled out, cut with a pizza cutter and baked to a safe temperature then dried on low in the oven over night. They love when I add natural ground peanut butter too!
My 9yr old schnauzer now has periodontal disease and is having a more difficult time with dry dog food. Thank you for this recipe! I’m sure she is going to love it! I’m going to make it today! 🐶
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Robert, your homemade treats sound like something my dogs would be over the moon excited about!!! I am so glad this meal time recipe will help your pup - there is nothing worse than mouth pain!
Lucy says
Hello,
Thanks for the recipe! I have a question though... should we be including calcium into our dogs’ diet? If so, what should I use as an addition to the above recipe? I’ve mage several types of variables on the above up
To now, and I was grinding up egg shell in the nutribullet and adding that, but not sure if there is anything better I can use? I suppose a spoon of natural yogurt? Or am I worrying too much?
Thanks!
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Lucy! Great question - you can absolutely do the egg shell thing, you can add plain Greek yogurt to your dog's meals, or you could grate in raw rutabaga to their meals. Rutabaga is an excellent source of calcium and our dogs love it in their food. They aren't is much fans of it raw or dried into chips though. Dogs can eat as much rutabaga as they want too which is great!!! Just be warned, rutabaga's have a very strong aroma so start slow adding it into your dog's food. If you have the time and your dog loved this recipe I would be so grateful if you would give the recipe a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet searching for homemade recipes for their pets find it as well!
Jayme Mcgrane says
Incase I missed it, can you tell me the breakdown of percentages of the protein/carb/vegetable ( and then I’ll add the other recommendations such as the oil).
Thank you !
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Jayme - I worked with my vet to develop the recipe, I do not have the percentages listed in the post but do have nutritional information of each ingredient thoroughly laid out in the post above.
Jayda says
I'm totally amazed with such amazing recipe. I've never tried the combination and most healthy ingredients. It looks interesting. I'll give it a try. thanks for sharing and keep on sharing.
thismess says
Hope your pups love it when you try it Jayda!
Richard Paolucci says
Thank you for sharing and your excellent advice for feeding dogs healthy homemade food. I enjoyed learning about some different homemade meals for dogs. I will definitely follow your advice on how to keep my dog healthy in the future. Excellent article.
thismess says
Thank you Richard for taking the time to comment 🙂
Jackie says
It says 50% percent protein, but 6 cups rice seems like too much for 2lbs of meat ??
thismess says
Hi Jackie - Thanks for taking the time to comment!
I am not sure where you saw the figure that a dog's diet should consist of 50% protein, but that is actually way too much!
A general guideline, according to the Association of American Feed Control Officials, requires adult commercial dog food to contain a minimum of 18 percent crude protein on a dry matter basis (meaning what's left after all of the moisture is extracted from dog food). Commercial food for growing puppies and nursing mothers has a required minimum of 22.5 percent dry matter protein.
Some veterinarians, including ours, caution against feeding high amounts of protein to dogs with kidney disease, as well as to senior dogs. Our Hooch falls into both of those categories since he is 11 and has kidney disease.
We have had this recipe approved by our vet for both of our dogs, but if you have concerns you should absolutely check with you veterinarian before changing your dogs food over to a homemade diet. I hope this helps!!
You can read the entire article where I pulled the above information from on the Hill's Diet website here: https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/nutrition-feeding/too-much-protein-in-dog-food
Fiona Westover says
What was the green powder and oil you added at the end in the video?
thismess says
Hi Fiona!! The green powder is called Dog Greens. I mention it a few times in my post. It is a vitamin and mineral blend that I add to their food to be sure they are getting all of the vitamins and nutrients they need each day. the oil I drizzled over the pan is actually olive oil! You want to add an oil that is rich in Omega 3's and 6's. You can find oil blends online, but they are a bit pricey. Olive oil and Safflower oil are great choices and I typically keep them on hand at all times, so I just use one of those.
Hope this helped 🙂
Heidi says
I started feeding my 8 year old dog similar recipes. I change between rice and lentils and now enhanced with recommended oil and parsley. No stomach issues and Toto is quite happy. He did not have any chronically health issues but I hope this will support his aging process.
thismess says
Hey Heidi!! I have never thought about feeding our dogs lentils - I will definitely have to look into that more as I think they would really love it! Honestly, I wish I had made the switch sooner in Hooch's life to preparing his meals myself. I truly believe we would have avoided some of the health issues he has now in his senior years if we had. My hope for our 1-year old rescue dog Rebel is that by feeding her this way for her entire life we can avoid health complications and keep her at peak performance and health levels well into her senior years! I hope the same for your sweet dog Toto who is so lucky to have you preparing meals for him!!
Cyn says
I have a very picky eater on my hands and I am going to try this. I am just curious how long does a batch keep for in the fridge? And it's ok to substitute any ground meat and safe veggies for dogs?
Thank you so much!
thismess says
Hey Cyn! A batch of this food will keep for 3-5 days in the fridge, although it may get a bit stinky due to the hard boiled eggs. If you think you will have more than what your pup can eat in that period of time you can always portion out meals and freeze individually. Then just thaw what you need for feeding each day. You can any ground meat - bison, beef, turkey, pork...as long as it is unseasoned. Feel free to swap up with dog friendly veggies too, our dogs LOVE carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato, green beans, lima beans, peas, corn, and fennel. But, they literally loathe celery for some reason and its really good for them! Good luck with your pup, I hope that you can find a recipe that they really enjoy to eat:)
Tracy M says
Hi there! You stated your 80lb dog eats 4.5-5 cups per day, but previously said to give 1C for every 10 lbs. Are you giving kibble for the rest of the meals?
thismess says
Hi Tracy!! Great question - I'm sorry the information was confusing. For a healthy 80LB dog like Hooch it would be 8 cups per day assuming you aren't adding in lots of extra treats throughout the day. Which I would split into 2-3 meals because it's easier for their bodies to digest smaller amounts throughout the day, especially dogs with health issues like kidney disease. That being said - our Hooch eats less of this food per day because I supplement him with other feedings. So, for breakfast he normally has a Greek Yogurt and Pumpkin Breakfast Bowl with his dog greens vitamins, he has quite a few dehydrated sweet potato and banana treats throughout the days well, and he eats 4-5 cups of this recipe per day divided up into 2 feedings. All in all, he is getting the same calorie intake - we just also wanted to make sure he was getting probiotics and pumpkin each day to help his gut stay healthy as his kidney disease progresses.
I know it is a lot - I hope this helps! Start with the recommended amount for your dog's weight and then go from there. You don't have to add any other types of foods into their diets I am just solely trying to manage our dog's kidney disease symptoms through food as best I can. We have found that the yogurt and pumpkin have cleared up the chronic diarrhea he was having which is a side effect of kidney disease.
Gabby says
This recipe is great. I’ve been a veterinary nurse for 25 years. I’ve been making my own dog food for just as long. I also thought oats were bad for dogs but I’ve just started adding a bit to my rescue greyhounds food. She’s hypothyroid so I also add a few more carbs to keep some weight on her. Her coat is shiny and she has no other medical problems. I Have also started adding boiled eggs occasionally and she loves them! My chihuahua has liver issues and I’ve found a homemade diet has kept t him from relapsing. His diet is a little different with low protein. He has more vegetables than meat.
thismess says
Thank you so much for commenting Gabby! I love hearing how you are feeding your dogs too! We have seen such amazing results with Hooch's lab work after making the change to this diet that we just had to share the recipe. My dogs start drooling as soon as I pull the Instant Pot out to make hard boiled eggs - they love them SO much! Ha!
Beverly Blair says
So your 80-lb dog and your 40-lb dog eat the same 4.5 - 5 cups per day?
thismess says
Hey Beverly! Great question - I'm sorry the information was confusing. For a healthy 80 LB dog like Hooch it would be 8 cups per day assuming you aren't adding in lots of extra treats throughout the day. Which I would split into 2-3 meals because it's easier for their bodies to digest smaller amounts throughout the day, especially dogs with health issues like kidney disease. That being said - our Hooch eats less of this food per day because I supplement him with other feedings. So, for breakfast he normally has a Greek Yogurt and Pumpkin Breakfast Bowl with his dog greens vitamins, he has quite a few dehydrated sweet potato and banana treats throughout the days well, and he eats 4-5 cups of this recipe per day divided up into 2 feedings. All in all, he is getting the same calorie intake - we just also wanted to make sure he was getting probiotics and pumpkin each day to help his gut stay healthy as his kidney disease progresses.
I know it is a lot - I hope this helps! Start with the recommended amount for your dog's weight and then go from there. You don't have to add any other types of foods into their diets I am just solely trying to manage our dog's kidney disease symptoms through food as best I can. We have found that the yogurt and pumpkin have cleared up the chronic diarrhea he was having which is a side effect of kidney disease.
Manuela Fischer says
I really liked the content!
https://veterinarianutricionista.com.br
Privina says
Do you think it’s ok to feed kibbles as treats and homemade food as mains ?
I love your blog!!
thismess says
Hi Privina, thank you SO much! We actually had purchased a huge bag of expensive puppy kibble for our dog Rebel right before we received Hooch's health diagnosis that ultimately led to creating and feeding this recipe. In order to use it up we actually mixed her food with 75% fresh food + 25% kibble. We also use still use a high quality kibble for her as training treats. So, yes feel free to use your kibble as treats:)
Elizabeth says
You are the absolute BEST thank you so much for including Rascal and I in your post, we're honored! I love Hooch's story and you're the best freaking dog Mom! xoxox
thismess says
Oh my goodness, you are just the best Elizabeth!! I love how you got to the bottom of what was happening with Rascal, you too are an amazing dog mom! I just couldn't put this post up without linking to your story - I am sure it has helped so many other dog owners.
Michelle says
Hi! I was wondering if I could add liver or chicken gizzards to this recipe? I heard they are really healthy for dogs. I’m thinking of switching my dog to homemade and I like this recipe. And if I can add these, how much would you recommend? Thank you!
thismess says
Hey Michelle,
I feel sure that you can add cooked organ meats to this recipe although I personally don't have any experience feeding them to our dogs. I know some organ meats are really good for them but I would be sure to look into how often and how much they should be eating them before I fed them at all. I read a handful of articles on the topic from sources that I trust and this one seems to be the best as far as answering questions like how much you should feed them, how they should be prepared, and what types of organ meats are the best to use. I hope this helps and I hope your pups love our recipe if you give it a try! Here is the article I mentioned above: https://blog.myollie.com/the-benefits-of-organ-meats-for-dogs/
Liz says
Omgsh I decided to your recipe with my boys. I have 2 beagles who would eat anything and a 12 pound terrier who turns his nose up at anything veggie related, so I thought he would eat around the carrots. I also purchased Dog Greens that I add to each serving. They are like wild animals eating. They LOVE it so much. The only complaint I have is that one of my beagles barks at me the whole time I’m cooking because he knows it’s for him! Lol
Question. When you switch up the rice with oatmeal, do you use the same amount? I saw someone mentioned pumpkin. Would you add that or substitute it for one of the other ingredients?
thismess says
That is great news Liz, I am SO glad! It does my heart good to know your Terrier is loving the food too. 🙂 Aren't the Dog Greens the best an oh my goodness I know EXACTLY what you mean about the dogs knowing that you are making their food. Hahaha! Our dogs are like giant, noisy, drooling area rugs that take up the entire kitchen as soon as the Instant Pot comes out of the cabinet to start the eggs. Ha!
So, I have added small quantities of oatmeal with zero issues but it can have adverse effects in large doses. I was actually just responding about oatmeal to another comment on this post when I saw yours so I am going to paste in the information that I found for them on adding oatmeal into your dog's diet here for you too....
While oats can be a problem in large amounts they are ok to feed in small doses and are actually frequently found in commercially prepared dog foods as a carbohydrate alternative. Generally speaking, you can feed your dog 1 tablespoon of cooked oatmeal for every 20 pounds of the dog's weight, but it probably should be more of an occasional treat than a daily thing. Of course, the oatmeal has to be cooked and free of any additives or sweeteners and it shouldn't be overly processed instant oatmeal. Just plain old fashioned oats nothing else 🙂
Here is an article from the AKC about oatmeal that was super interesting: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-oatmeal/
Julia says
This is Mika's favorite recipe that we've made for her. She's a husky lab who is even more finicky than my children are at mealtime! Thanks for all the tidbits of information as well! Very much appreciated 🙂
meg@thismessisours says
Julia, I am so glad that the recipe and sharing our research is helping you and Mika! That just fills my heart with so much joy, thank you for sharing and giving the post a 5-star rating, it really means a lot to us!
Tami says
Is this okay for a 5 month teacup mini golden doodle?
thismess says
Hey Tami!!
We started feeding our puppy Rebel this recipe at about 6 months old when we adopted her and she is in optimal health! We made a slow transition and actually split her food 75% homemade food + 25% good quality puppy kibble until she reached almost a year then we eliminated kibble all together. If you are concerned though you could always check with your vet and they could advise what age is best. I hope this helps!
Sue says
My Staffy absolutely loved this, her head did not come out of the dish until she had eaten the lot.
thismess says
Hooray Sue!!! That just made my day - thank you for sharing!
Kathye Stanfield says
Trying this today! Thank you for this easy recipe.
My Boykin/English spaniel will be 2 years old in Dec 2020 and has recently begun throwing up bile first thing in the morning....being “helicopter DOG mom” I am concerned the high price kibble is not meeting her nutritional needs.
We walk (well truthfully I walk, she runs) 2 miles every morning and I want her to be on a healthy diet and this recipe seems to fit the bill!
Thank you for sharing!😊
thismess says
Kathye I am so glad that your search led you here and I hope this recipe works wonders for your dog like it has ours!! Keep me posted how she is doing ok?
Ann says
My dog also used to throw up yellow colored bile first thing in the morning. I then started giving him a little snack just before bedtime and the throwing up of bile stopped completely. I read the bile is a sign of stomach being too empty.
Maggie says
Ah, my questions hv disappeared. Hope u didn’t mind. Xx one minute there then ,,,,gone?
Darcy Gabriele says
I am curious what your dog was eating before their kidney disease diagnosis? We just got the news a week or so ago so I am doing all the research I can!
thismess says
I am so sorry!!! I know how devastating that news can be. He was actually eating Blue Buffalo brand before his diagnosis. He was a bit overweight at the time of his diagnosis since he is older, but not obese. We were truly shocked and not expecting that diagnosis. I hope the information in this article helps you and your pup!
Futouristo says
The dogs love it!
Joshua says
I make my boys something similar as an addition to their kibble, but mostly because they're so damn picky. I've been considering dialing up the homemade though and I like this recipe.
I know it takes longer, but have you ever tried baked brown rice? I will admit I also "cook" the food for the dogs as well. I'll heat a little unprocessed coconut oil in a skillet and mix the food/kibble together. They love it and I think the heat of the food helps slow them down when they eat too.
thismess says
My dad's dog is on a 80% human grade food 20% kibble diet and it works for them. With our dog's medical needs I just eliminated it all together to make sure everything they were ingesting was as clean as possible. I have never tried baked brown rice - i am going to have to Google that for sure!!! My dogs really dig a warm dinner, so on dog food making day they get REALLY happy!!!
Angela says
I’m confused as to how much to feed my 100 lb dog and my 90lb dog. In the beginning you said 10lb of weight to 1 cup of food but in your notes you said your 80lb senior only get 4 1/2 - 5 cups daily. What should I do ?
thismess says
Hey Angela! Whoa - you have a BIG dog!! The standard vet recommendation is 10lb of weight to 1 cup of food, our senior dog eats a bit less than teh recommended amount each day. I am sorry that was confusing, I will edit it to make sure it makes more sense.
Claire Parker says
I have two small dogs, one loves to eat, the other a very reluctant eater. They are now on a high quality canned food ($$$) and prescription dry as the one who loves to eat was gaining too much weight. I’d love to find one food liked by both and your recipe in a crockpot is Inspiring me to try making my own. Is the amount served one cup per 10lbs at each meal? Thx for any advice.
thismess says
Oh goodness - we know those costly prescription diets all too well over here!! I hope this recipe works for your pups!! Yes, the amount served is 1 cup for every 10lbs of pup!
Dee Dee Mead says
I thought it was 1 cup per 10 pounds per day, not at each meal?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Dee Dee, We feed our dogs two smaller meals each day. It is 1 cup per 10 pounds of weight each day yes, but especially with dogs with kidney disease it is important to feed smaller meals more frequently.
Jeanne says
It is one cup per 10 lb of dog, so, 1/2 cup twice a day for a 10 lb dog.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Jeanne, yes, that would be my assumption as far as how much to feed however, if your dog still seems hungry you can always add in a bit more at each feeding until you find your dog's happy spot!
Sarah Boothby says
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and info! I've been irked at the price I'm paying for Dogfood, as I question the wholeness of the ingredients altogether. I've actually created a similar Dogfood in my kitchen when I run out of store bought. But I've questioned if it's all okay for him. I guess it's not rocket science with a little bit of study, and very helpful articles like yours. Thanks so much!
Q: Can you tell me if whole fish, such as 3-4 inch bluegill would be beneficial? (My son likes to fish.)
thismess says
Sarah, I FEEL you on questioning the dog food you are purchasing! It is so incredibly easy to make the swap over to making your pet's food yourself, it does just require a bit of research. I hope our recipe is a launching point for you and you can develop a recipe that suits you and your pup perfectly.
As far as fish goes, it can be a part of a healthy diet for your dog, provided it is fully cooked without any additional oils and seasonings, does not contain any bones, and is not a species prone to high levels of mercury such as tuna. I have a son that loves to fish as well, so I know those small Bluegill all too well. My main concern with fish in general would be the bones which are quite small, brittle, and dangerous. They can lodge themselves in your dog’s mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines, sometimes even perforating the organ wall. I personally, would probably avoid those just to be safe.
L montaine says
You could give mackeril in the can
meg@thismessisours says
YES! That is a great choice and dogs love it!
Clara says
I was just wondering if I were to sub in frozen carrots, how much would I use? And it's 3 cups rice (uncooked), correct?
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Clara!!! So, carrots are one of those lovely ingredients that dogs can eat to their heart's content. I would probably add somewhere between 1 and 1/2 cups frozen carrots to replace the fresh. Yes, you are correct about the amount of uncooked rice. 3 cups uncooked will double into 6 cups cooked. I hope your dog loves this recipe - if so, would you please come back and give it a star rating? I would appreciate it so much! Thank you!!!
Christy Davenport says
Sorry I posted the last question too soon. Also I was told that Zuchinni, sweet potato, peas, and beans are also good, What do you think of adding these in? As well as the cooked liver.
thismess says
No problem at all Christy!! Since our older dog has kidney disease we avoid organ meats all together. In moderation organ meats are good for dogs without underlying health issues, but too much liver may be toxic to dogs because of its high vitamin A content. Our dogs love zucchini, sweet potato, and beans! Feel free to incorporate any of those!
Christy Davenport says
What about adding liver. I was told best to boil it and then could be put in>
Laura Neel says
At one point you mentioned to NOT mix raw foods with cooked. I’m confused about the shredded carrots in the recipe. Are THEY left raw, or are they cooked before mixed in? Are all other vegetables mentioned cooked before being mixed in? Certainly, things such as squash and sweet potatoes are cooked, but what about others? I’m excited to cook for my pups; I just want to get it right! Thank you! Laura Neel
thismess says
Hey Laura,
I'm sorry that was confusing, but I am so glad you left a comment, let me try to explain it a little clearer. If you make the decision to feed your dog a 'raw diet', which is a diet primarily made up of raw ground meats/organ meat, raw eggs, and some vegetables, it is important that you do not mix in cooked treats or offer kibble as well. A 'raw diet' digests at a different rate in our dogs bodies which could potentially lead to a serious tummy upset. Raw fruits and vegetables, mixed into food or fed as treats in-between meals as part of a 100% human food diet or a diet mixed with dog kibble is absolutely ok! For what its worth, neither I personally, nor my vet recommends feeding a raw diet - raw diets are really hard to get right and dogs are just as prone to food poisoning as us humans are.
I hope this helps, please feel free to ask any other questions you might have!
Jen says
Great recipe, thanks. My 5 lb yorkie seems to be different than
most. Her health and digestive system thrives best with a combination of raw meat and cooked meat with cooked veggies - all fed at the same time (2 oz twice per day). The vet and I think it's because the raw and cooked meats do break down and digest at different speeds like you said. The raw digests real quickly in my yorkie and the cooked meat seems to soothe and sustain her until her 2nd feeding. When we combine raw and cooked, then her once per day small stool is great (soft and solid) and she and her tummy seem very happy. If we feed all raw, she does not do well. If we feed all cooked, she doesn't do well either. Bizarre, I know.
thismess says
Wow Jen! It just goes to show that we are all created a bit differently, even our pups, and one blanket diet definitely doesn't work for everyone! I am SO glad you have found what works best for you and your sweet pup. There is no doubt in my mind that you have spent a great deal of effort an energy getting to this point where you know exactly what works for your pup! I am beyond thrilled for her and for you!
Darlene DeLaurelle says
I posted what I make my 5 dogs eat but I failed to mention how much they Love the food! Their coats are shiny and they have stopped shedding. They have actually lost weight even though I am feeding them more. They are pooping less. They are very happy now and can't wait till meal time! Very rewarding to me to know my buddies love the new food! Thanks for your receipe!
meg@thismessisours says
Oh my goodness Darlene your dogs are so lucky to have you!!! I have got to look into ricotta for my dogs! I am so glad you like the recipe and hope your pups love it as much as ours do! As far as herbs go, they are really great for dogs just like us! i wrote an entire blog post all about it recently. Simply click on the link to read 🙂
Donna Paterson says
Made this recipe using turkey, fast easy, per day, I costed it out to $2.90 to give my girl a yummy breakfast and dinner!
thismess says
Hooray Donna!!! That is amazing and what a lucky pup you have! It does my heart so much good feeding our dogs home cooked meals and I can tell by your comment that it is going to bring you the same type of joy.
karen snapp says
Thank you a thousand times! Something has to change and "it" is doing it myself. I will cook and feed my dog Ruger like myself and my boys for sure. Take a look at the grocery store shelves and see how our family pets rank in the commercial FOOD world 🌎
What a shame! I am going to cook for my Ruger as well!!
thismess says
Good for you Karen, your sweet Ruger will be so grateful that you make the change and I have to admit it does my heart good knowing that I am nourishing my pups with whole foods instead of processed kibble. It is extra work, but the rewards far outweigh the effort I put in.
Linda says
My dogs are 8 lb and 11 lb 1 cup / 10 lb is that just once a day
thismess says
Hey Linda!! Oh my goodness your dogs are so tiny compared to ours! You can split the recommended daily amount which is 1 cup per 10 lbs of weight into multiple meals - I know our dogs digest their food better when we feed them smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to one large one. i hope this helps, let m know if you have any other questions!
Darlene says
I have 5 dogs so making their food takes about 5 hours every 10 days. The change in them has been astonishing! The two overweight dogs are now lean and mean and the other 3 have so much energy. I have a 12 year old Llasho that looked like he was nearing his end of life but now he runs like a puppy, his eyes are bright again and his arthritis doesn't seem to bother him! I buy chicken breasts and thighs deboned and cook them outside water in a propane fryer. I peel sweet potatoes and put them in the pot. Inside I cook brown rice in an instapot. I use peas and green beans and use the food processor to puree everything. I puree chicken, add olive oil The vegetables have to be pureed for the dogs to get the vitamin benefits, they don't digest pieces of vegetables. They get canned pumpkin twice a day with their food and a raw egg 4 days a week. They also get snacks of sliced apples, pears and raw cranberries. I choose not to give them broccoli or cauliflower because it upsets some dogs stomach. I put Chia seeds in water and put some on their food daily. This is not cheaper than buying the recalled dog food but I can't stress the improvement in all the dogs health! Thank you so much for posting your receipe! I researched for days before I decided to do this.
meg@thismessisours says
Darlene you are incredible!!! How lucky your dogs are to have you in their lives and WOW what a change in their health and mobility. We too saw increased playfulness and more energy all around from our 11 year old dog once we swapped him over to this diet. I LOVE that your adding chia seeds to their diet - I use a lot of hemp seeds here. We also add pumpkin and snack on apples and cranberries as well. It sounds like we could probably tap;k for hours about all of teh research we have both done here. Thank you for sharing some of yours with me!
Darlene DeLaurelle says
I started recently making my 5 dogs food after watching a video about manufactured dog food and realized the poor quality food I was feeding them. I buy meat on sale, chicken, beef or turkey. I make a batch for a week. I add brown rice, boiled eggs, fresh carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, olive oil and cottage or ricotta cheese. I mix all in food processor. I have 3 10+ dogs with poor teeth. Once a day they share an apple or a pear and I make them frozen treats out of plain yogurt and peanut butter and freeze in ice cube trays. I have not tried any herbs. Why should I? Thanks.
Michelle says
I have been making homemade dog food for my 75lb American bulldog for what seems like 400 years, but is actually only something like 8 months. I make a similar mix, but add sweet potatoes and cook ground Turkey instead of sirloin. We occasionally mix up the grain with oatmeal. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
thismess says
Good for you Michelle, your sweet dog is so lucky to have you!! My dad has an American bulldog that he rescued, they are such a great breed. We sometimes swap it up for our pups with sweet potatoes and turkey as well and they LOVE it!!! I will definitely have to try mixing up the grain with oatmeal! I bet our dogs would really dig that!
Patrick says
Hi just to let you know...I thought that brown rice was good for my dog but she became very sick...after researching this extensively I found out that if given in a very small amount say a half to 1 cup it is okay occasionally...the reason why is dogs digestive systems have very hard times breaking down the brown rice because of the whole grain compared to white rice which is shucked...I thought brown was more healthier..it is for humans not for dogs...thanks.
meg@thismessisours says
Hey Patrick - I am so sorry your dog had a problem with brown rice!! It can be tougher to digest, especially for dogs that are more prone to upset tummies. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. We haven't had any issues with our younger dog with brown rice, but do feed our dog Hooch that has kidney disease white rice these days as it is lower in phosphorous and easier for the kidney's to process. I have a friend who has a dog that is allergic to rice all together, I guess its rare but true. Your dog is so lucky to have you looking out for her!
Cheryl says
Brown rice can go rancid also.
Mac says
Oats are not good for dogs, I encourage you to do some more research.
thismess says
Hey Mac,
I appreciate your comment and was super curious so I did some digging about oats! While oats can be a problem in large amounts they are ok to feed in small doses and are actually are frequently found in commercially prepared dog foods as a carbohydrate alternative. Generally speaking, you can feed your dog 1 tablespoon of cooked oatmeal for every 20 pounds of the dogs weight, but it probably should be more of an occasional treat than a daily thing. Of course, the oatmeal has to be cooked and free of any additives or sweeteners and it shouldn't be overly processed instant oatmeal.
Here is an article from the AKC about oatmeal that was super interesting: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/nutrition/can-dogs-eat-oatmeal/
Jeanne says
Just yesterday my little Lola (Shih Tzu/poodle) decided she doesn’t want blue wet food or any type of dry food. So I am cooking her food as we speak. I baked a potatoe, cooked a small amount of spinach and cauliflower, and boiled some chicken. Sure hope she eats it. Tomorrow I will go to the store and pick up sweet potatoes and brown rice and make her a more nutritious and balanced meal. Also I will purchase some vitamins at the pet store to supplement whAt I am cooking. Wish me luck. Ooops I’m planing on drizzling a bit of olive oil on her food. Thank you for your recipe I will make it tomorrow.
thismess says
Jeanne I hate to hear that your poor Lola has been having a hard time with her food lately, but she is so lucky to have you caring for her! Hopefully, a little home cooked meal is all she needs.
Erica M. says
I have a Shih tzu also and want to start him on homecooked food, just because I feel it's healthier, but just don't know where to start to make it a well balanced meal. How much of each food group should I include? What supplements does he need? Can you give me any advice please.
meg@thismessisours says
Hi Erica, I know just how daunting the task of making food for your dog can be. The recipe and blog post above has everything broken down for you including the vitamin and mineral blend we use for our dogs. Outside of that you can absolutely discuss with your vet what your options are for feeding a diet of 100% human grade dog food. If you do give the recipe a try and have the time I would be so grateful if you would give it a star rating for me. That helps other people around the internet find this recipe as well!
Marie Losee says
I'm so excited to try this. I've been looking for something to try for my dog rather than buying food. He has skin allergies and we've figured it is due to his food, he has to eat all natural foods with no additives. And no wheat products. Homemade will be a lot easier. Cant wait to try.