So you’ve been thinking about switching your fur baby to a raw food diet. Or maybe you’ve just been looking for ways to give them a healthy, natural treat that you can make yourself.
Here are a few recipes for delicious food and treats for them that are made with healthy ingredients and packed with nutrition.
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NOTE: Check with your veterinarian before making any changes to your pet’s diet. Also, please be aware of any allergies your pet may have to specific ingredients and avoid ingredients which have caused reactions in your pets in the past. If you are unsure about a specific ingredient found in one of our dog food recipes, introduce the food to your pets in small amounts first.
Raw Food Cakes
This recipe comes to us thanks to blogger Maureen Shaughnessy. Here’s what she had to say about it:
“Our dog, Sam, died when he was a little over 20 years old. He was a large breed – a flatcoated retriever. It surprised everybody, ourselves included, that Sam lived to such a ripe old age — and he enjoyed an active happy life almost right up to the end. We feel it was at least partly because he ate such a healthy homemade raw food diet.
I developed his diet based on asking questions of my sister, Dr. Moira Drosdovech, a holistic veterinarian in Kelowna, BC … plus my own research into the diet of species like dogs (wolves, fox) and observing what Sam seemed to crave and loved to eat.”
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups rice (brown or white)
- Other fruit: peaches, pears, plums are all okay for dogs and nutritious.
- 4 cups unsalted, no-onion chicken broth
- 1# green beans (sometimes more.)
- 2 large yams, steamed or baked (I use the microwave to make it quickly)
- 1# snap peas, or whatever peas in the pod you have around
- 2 cups pumpkin puree (in season)
- 1# snap peas, or whatever peas in the pod you have around
- 1 large bunch parsley
- 12 eggshells or more (baked to dry, grind in small “coffee grinder”)**
- 8 large carrots
- 9 eggs, poached lightly then cooled
- 1/4 head cabbage (optional — warning: ground up cabbage has a strong smell!)
- 1 c. peanut butter (more or less — I use this as a binder & for protein)
- 1 broccoli head
- 2/3 cup nutritional yeast (lots of vitamins) or 1/3 cup dog multiple vitamin powder
- 6 celery stalks
- 1 cup flax meal (if you just have the seed, finely grind it in food processor)
- 1 large zucchini and/or yellow summer squash (in season)
- 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds or raw almonds (finely processor)
- 4 large apples (more is good)
- 2 cups rolled oats, optional (1/2 ground in food processor, 1/2 whole)
- 1 # cranberries (in season, sometimes more)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 # blueberries (in season. These turn food gray. If it bothers you, skip blueberries)
- 1/2 cup rose hips, dried and ground in coffee grinder
DIRECTIONS:
- Cook rice in broth til done (the way you usually cook rice — I use a rice cooker) Then, let cool
- Puree the yams in food processor, skin and all.
- Finely chop or grind the fruits and vegetables in a food processor (the finer the more digestible.) I do one thing at a time in my Cuisinart and save time by NOT washing it out between ingredients. It doesn’t matter anyway since all of the ingredients get mixed together.
- Put all of the ingredients into a very large bowl (I use a huge bread bowl my brother gave me over 20 years ago) Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well. (I use my hands to mix it — there is a lot here.)
- Mix with your hands or a spoon til all the ingredients have been incorporated into a squishy, moist glop.
- Put waxed paper or parchment paper on 2 large cookie sheets. Scoop out measured amounts of the mixture in “balls” or “cakes” and place on waxed paper close together. Freeze until hard. Put the cakes in airtight freezer bags and thaw as needed.
Woof Loaf
This recipe comes from Popsugar, the popular lifestyle site. Just take one look at the photos of this doggie approved woof loaf and see why we fell in love – divine! Not that you need worry to much about presentation, yours is for eating not photographing, after all. Loafs are a great way to ensure ease of making while stockpiling a large amount of food for the week and turkey and veggies with eggs and oats are a great combo for most canine pals.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- 1/2 cup oats
- 1/2 cup chopped carrots
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup peas
- 3 hard-boiled eggs
DIRECTIONS:
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, mix together the lean ground turkey, chopped carrots, and peas. Both are healthy for cats and dogs, giving them the nutrition they need for strong eyes and good digestion.
- Add the oats and eggs. Mix until the loaf mixture comes together. Oats help your pet’s coat shine, and eggs offer extra protein. Lightly grease a loaf pan with olive oil and then add half the mixture to the pan.
- Place the three hard-boiled eggs along the center of the loaf and then cover with the other half of the ground turkey mixture. Pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- Cut a half-inch slice from the cooled loaf and offer it to your pet. He’ll be woofing for seconds! If feeding a slice to your feline, it’s a good idea to chop it up before adding it to her feeding dish.
Peanut Butter Pumpkin Grain-Free Dog Treats
As an alternative to store bought dog biscuits that are loaded with grains and fillers, these are grain-free and made with healthy, wholesome ingredients.
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Bake Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cup coconut flour
- 1/2 cup organic peanut butter
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted then slightly cooled
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Roll dough out gently onto a cutting board dusted lightly with additional coconut flour, or onto a rolpat. Roll out to about 1/4 – 1/2 inch thick.
- Cut out shapes using your preferred cookie cutters.
- Transfer gently to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes. Treats should have a slightly golden color around the edges.
- Cool on cookie sheets before serving.
- May be stored in airtight containers for up to three weeks.
Note: Be sure to measure the coconut oil in its solid form, and THEN melt
Homemade Healthy Dog Food Pucks
- 3 cups raw grass-fed beef
- 6 eggs, whole (you use the shell, too!)
- ½ teaspoon grey sea salt
- ½ cup coconut oil or grass-fed tallow
- Dog multiple vitamin powder
- 1 cup bone broth
- 1 (300 gram) sweet potato
- 2 apples, seeds completely removed
- ¾ cup ground flax seed, pumpkin seed or hemp meal
- 6 chicken livers or 2 calf livers
- Vitamin A in the form of Cod Liver Oil (100IU per day per 5 pounds of body weight)
- EPA/DHA in the form of Krill Oil (240mg per day per 5 pounds of body weight)
- Soy-free Vitamin E (12IU per day per 5 pounds of body weight)
- Kelp water (¼ teaspoon per day per 5 pounds of body weight)
- Add Raw Base Recipe ingredients (including the WHOLE egg) and any additional Boosted Supplements to the jug of your high-powered blender and blend until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl, cover and set in the fridge.
- Meanwhile, add Cooked Base Recipe ingredients to your Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 15 minutes. Alternatively, you could increase the broth to 3 cups and add to a large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer for 25 minutes.
- Allow the Cooked Base Recipe ingredients to chill until room temperature. Transfer to the jug of your high-powered blender and blend on high until smooth. Transfer mixture to the bowl with the blended Raw Base Recipe ingredients and mix with a large spoon until combined.
- Transfer to small silicone molds or larger silicone molds if you have a larger dog. Once all molds have been filled, transfer to the freezer and freeze for 12 hours. You can store them in the molds, or transfer to a large ziploc.
- Keep the pucks in the freezer at all times. When ready to feed, take out on the counter to defrost for 1 hour or place in the fridge overnight. Remember there is raw meat in here, so wash up afterward.
Chicken Rice Balls
These chicken rice balls are gorgeous and full of so many things pups love – chicken, sweet potatoes and eggs. Yum!
INGREDIENTS:
- 4-5 C. cooked brown rice
- 16 oz frozen peas
- 2 plain whole chickens, about 4 lbs each
- 2 small bunches fresh parsley leaves
- 2 medium orange sweet potatoes (yams), chopped
- 2 small-medium bunches kale, stems removed
- 8 whole carrots, chopped
- 8 eggs
DIRECTIONS:
- Roast chicken in 350′ oven for about 1 hour 25 minutes or until juices run clear. As chickens are roasting, cook the rice (4 C. water & 2 C. rice) and let cool.
- Peel and chop yams, and carrots, add to a large stock pot with about 1/2 cup water. Add in peas, kale and apple. Allow to boil then simmer until carrots and yams are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to remove any liquid to a food processor, add fresh parsley and pulse until pureed.
- Cook scrambled eggs, plain.
- Cool chicken, then pick apart and add meat to a large stand mixer. On medium speed, mix until chicken is shredded. Add in cooled rice, veggie puree and eggs . Using an ice cream scooper, scoop out portions onto a lined baking sheet. Flash freeze then place portions in a freezer safe container/baggie.
- To use, keep a day or two worth in your fridge to thaw. I microwave thawed portions for 22 seconds, frozen for about 45 seconds. Feed to your furry baby.
Turkey & Veggie Mash
Ingredients:
Directions:
Add 1 1/2 cups water to a double boiler, place carrots in a steam basket over the pot and cover. Heat until boiling, reduce heat to a low boil and steam until carrots start to get tender, about 10 minutes. In the meantime, add the turkey and liver to a large skillet and cook on medium-high heat until done and there’s no more pink color. Drain off any fat and discard.
Add broccoli, cauliflower, and zucchini, and continue steaming until all vegetables are tender, but not mushy, about 6-8 minutes. Allow vegetables to cool slightly then either chop in a food process or use a knife. The size of the vegetables will depend on the consistency preferred. We usually pulse about three times in the food processor and get the vegetables to a finely chopped consistency, similar to canned dog food.
Add chopped vegetables to the turkey and liver, stir to combine. Add the olive oil and toss to combine with the turkey & veggie mixture. Allow to cool before dividing into freezer safe containers.
Resealable freezer bags are great for freezing individual meals and should be labeled with the date of preparation and name of the meal. The amount frozen for each meal will depend on the weight of your dog. Check with your vet regarding how much to feed your dog on a daily basis. Allow to defrost in the refrigerator the night before serving.
Want to boost the nutrition factor of this wholesome dog food. Simply top it with a sprinkling of Boost Me from TruDog.
Boost Me is a freeze-dried, versatile supplement that contains simple ingredients packed with powerful nutrition. It contains USA midwest-raised, high quality cuts of raw beef muscle meat, vital beef organs, beef blood and bone, and a little herring oil to aid digestion. Boost Me enhances the nutritional value of your current food, whether it be wet, dry or raw food you prepare yourself.
If you’ve been thinking of switching to a raw food diet, but find yourself too busy to deal with all of the shopping and preparing involved, we can help you with that!
Feed Me is the ideal raw dog food diet. You get the power of raw nutrition, without the thaw. There’s no defrosting, cooking, or mess. No need to refrigerate, Feed Me can be stored on your counter, in the pantry, or even in your bag or backpack as long as the bag is resealed after each use.
Treat Me includes a wide variety of flavors and are all made with wholesome, all-natural raw ingredients.
