Homemade dog food provides your pet with well-rounded nutrition, and it is particularly beneficial for canines with special dietary needs. Dogs who are overweight, underweight, suffer with kidney disease or heart disease and dogs with liver conditions are just a few of the animals who can benefit from a homemade dog food diet.
This doggy meatloaf recipe is suitable for most pets, but be sure to discuss any diet changes with your veterinarian in advance. This is especially true if your dog has a serious health condition. ALWAYS talk to your veterinarian or a trained canine nutritionist before selecting a new diet for your dog. Let them know what you plan to feed your pet and ask for their input on healthy variations.
If not done properly, homemade dog food diets can actually do more harm than good. Too many nutrients can cause toxicity over time, and a nutritional deficiency could leave Fido with an irreversible health problem.
In fact, a study by the Journal of the American Veterinary Association analyzed 200 homemade dog food recipes from veterinary textbooks, by board certified veterinary nutritionists, and from different pet-related websites. In the end, of the 200 recipes, only 9 met the National Research Council's requirements for a high-quality dog food!
Don't just take my word for it. This recipe is not going to provide a nutritionally balanced meal for every dog. In order to meet your dog's needs you may need to add additional supplements or substitute some of the ingredients for a more nutrient dense option.
Beef or Turkey Muttloaf Meal for Dogs Recipe
This recipe is not going to provide a nutritionally balanced meal for every dog. In order to meet your dog's needs you may need to add additional supplements or substitute some of the ingredients for a more nutrient dense option. For this reason, it's imperative that you consult your veterinarian or a certified canine nutritionist before feeding this meal to your dog.
Recipe: Beef or Turkey Muttloaf Meal for Dogs
This recipe is made similar to a meatloaf recipe for humans. In fact, it would be a healthy meal for your two-legged family members as well. You could share this muttloaf with your pup, if you choose.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: about 12 cups of food 1x
- Category: Cooked Food
- Method: Oven Baked
- Cuisine: Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 lb. lean ground beef or ground turkey
- 1.5 cups quinoa
- 1.5 cups rolled oats
- 8 eggs
- 2 sweet potatoes (grated)
- 2 celery stalks (chopped)
- 4 carrots (grated)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400˚F.
I used a mini muffin pan to make these muttloaf bites for my dogs. You could use a traditional loaf pan or a regular-sized muffin tin as well. Whichever pan you choose to use, grease it before you begin preparing the muttloaf recipe.
Cook the quinoa according to the instructions on the packaging. Once the quinoa has cooled, add it to a large mixing bowl. Mix the carrots, sweet potato, beef, celery and eggs in with the quinoa. Use your hands to knead the mixture until it is evenly combined.
Fill each muffin tin with the muttloaf mixture. Cook in the 400˚ oven for about 45 minutes or until they begin to crisp on the top.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 177
- Sugar: 4.5 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 8 .7 g
- Carbohydrates: 16.4 g
- Fiber: 1.9 g
- Protein: 9.3 g
- Cholesterol: 74 mg
How much to feed: I recommend feeding about 1/2 cup of food for every 20 pounds of body weight. This recommendation is for 2 servings per day. This is just a guideline. Lazier pets and senior dogs may not need as many. It is extremely important to consult your veterinarian about the best serving size for your dog.
How to store: You can store the leftover dog food in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze them, and they’ll keep for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that this recipe includes no preservatives, so that it won't last nearly as long as commercial dog food.
