My slow cooker is my absolute favorite kitchen appliance. It makes cooking for my family effortless. This turkey dog food recipe is one of my favorite crock pot recipes.
Preparing homemade meals for your pet is time consuming. I often hear pet owners say that they would love to cook for their dog, but they don't have enough time between working, family obligations and all of their other responsibilities.
If you're thinking of cooking homemade meals for your dog, I definitely recommend investing in a high quality slow cooker. I've done an extensive review of my favorite slow cooker, the 8-in-1 Cosori slow cooker.
Before switching to homemade food, I would also recommend having a conversation with your veterinarian or a canine nutritionist. When done properly, homemade dog food can be the best option for every canine.
If you don't make sure that you're serving meals that are specifically balanced for your dog's unique nutritional needs, he could become nutrient deficient in a matter of days. On the other hand, your dog can also overdose on certain nutrients leading to serious health problems.
Crock Pot Turkey Dog Food Recipe
Crock Pot Turkey Dog Food Recipe
This recipe is made with whole wheat pasta. You could use barley, chickpeas or lentils instead. You could also substitute other dog-friendly vegetables for the ones in this recipe.
As I said, be sure to discuss this recipe with your veterinarian. They may recommend adding supplements or a multi-vitamin to make this recipe nutritionally balanced for your pooch.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 90 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
- Yield: about 12 cups of food 1x
- Category: Cooked Food
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 lb. ground turkey
- 1 cup whole wheat pasta
- ¼ cup carrots
- ¼ cup zucchini
- ¼ cup broccoli
- ¼ cup cranberries
- 1 tsp. fish oil
Instructions
Add the ground turkey and vegetables to your slow cooker along with ½ cup of water. Cook on low for 2 hours.
Stir the turkey dog food recipe occasionally to break up the turkey. After two hours, add the macaroni and cranberries to slow cooker.
Pour 3 cups of water over the top of the food. Add the fish oil. Stir until the ingredients are equally distributed.
Cook on high for another 30 minutes. Once the turkey dog food recipe has cooled completely, you can serve it to your dog.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 75
- Sugar: .5 g
- Sodium: 23 mg
- Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.3 g
- Fiber: .9 g
- Protein: 6.4 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
Serving Size Recommendation
You can serve this food to your dog as soon as it has cooled. I recommend feeding about 1/2 cup of food for every 20-25 pounds of body weight.
This recommendation is for 2 servings per day. So, a 25-pound dog would eat about 1/2 cup in the morning and 1/2 cup in the evening.
This is just a guideline.
Some dogs, like working dogs and very active breeds, will need more calories than this. Lazier pets and senior dogs may not need as many.
It's best to consult your veterinarian about the appropriate serving size for you dog. They will also help you evaluate the meal to make sure it will meet your pet's unique nutritional needs.
If necessary, they will assist you in choosing the best supplements and/or multivitamins to add.
How to store
You can store the leftover low-cost homemade 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.
For More Information
We publish many homemade dog food and treats recipes every month. For more recipes, pet food cooking tips and advice, see our “Recipes” section.
If you're new to home cooked dog food subject, I recommend you read more about “How Much To Feed” to understand serving sizes, “What Supplements To Use” to create well-balanced meals, and “How To Store” for tips on simple and easy homemade dog food storing in a fridge or a freezer.
