If you’re curious how to make homemade dog food with real ingredients, it’s far less daunting than you might think. With a slow cooker, it’s as easy as assembling ingredients and waiting. The biggest benefit to making your dog’s food is having control over the ingredients. This allows you to select high-quality, fresh ingredients that meet your dog’s palette preferences while avoiding potential allergens.
Keep in mind this shouldn’t replace your dog’s meals until you’ve talked to your veterinarian. Your pet requires a balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals to maintain optimal health. Arm yourself with knowledge from an expert, including what specific supplements are necessary to add to their food, before proceeding. Even if homemade dog food doesn’t replace your dog’s meals, this recipe makes a wonderful addition, and it’s pretty inexpensive. The total cost for this recipe was about $18.87, making the cost-per-cup $1.11.
This recipe is customizable, as long as you follow the simple rule of ensuring it contains protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Using fresh vegetables ensures your pet is getting the maximum amount of nutrition from them, but frozen vegetables will work also. Avoid using canned vegetables, even the no-sodium added variety, because they’re typically over-cooked and stripped of nutrition.
Homemade Dog Food in the Slow Cooker
Ingredients
- 3 lbs. ground turkey or chicken raw
- 1-1/2 cups brown rice uncooked
- 2 large sweet potatoes diced
- 5 oz. spinach fresh
- 14 oz. fresh green beans chopped
- 4 cups water
Instructions
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Add all ingredients to 6+ quart slow cooker.
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Stir thoroughly to combine.
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Cover and cook on medium for 3-5 hours, stirring occasionally.
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Let cool completely before serving.
Recipe Notes
- This recipe is freezer friendly. Store in air-tight container in refrigerator 3-4 days. Freeze up to 2 months.
- Get healthy grains at Vitacost, plus dog food and treats you can feel good about.
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