Nutrition is one of the biggest factors in your pet's health and well-being. Proper nutrition is important for all dogs, but a dog food recipe for large breeds needs to cater to the unique nutritional needs of larger canines.
Large breed dogs grow and develop differently than smaller breeds. Larger dogs have a lower metabolism and a larger stomach.
This means they need food with a lower caloric density, and they require fewer calories per pound than smaller breeds.
In order to ensure that you are providing the best nutrition for your pet, it is important to discuss this dog food recipe for large breeds with your veterinarian before making a dietary switch for your pet.
Many common health issues in dogs stem from poor nutrition. If you don't formulate homemade dog food recipes properly, your pet could suffer from malnutrition or nutrient toxicity in a matter of days.
It would be incredibly difficult to figure out your dog's unique nutritional needs on your own. That's why it's best to consult your veterinarian or a trained canine nutritionist before changing your dog's diet.
Dog Food Recipe for Large Breeds
This recipe may not offer balanced nutrition for all dogs, so be sure to check with your veterinarian before switching Fido to this diet. They may recommend adding supplements or a multivitamin or substituting some ingredients.
PrintDog Food Recipe for Large Breeds
Oatmeal makes a good substitute carbohydrate for dogs with wheat and grain allergies. A good source of soluble fiber, oatmeal is beneficial for dogs with digestive issues and aids in regulating blood glucose levels.
I used brocolli, but you could substitute other dog-friendly veggies too. You could even throw in some dog-friendly fruits once in a while to change things up for your pup.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: about 10 cups of food 1x
- Category: Cooked Food
- Method: Slow Cooker
- Cuisine: Dog Food
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast (cubed)
- ⅓ cup chicken liver
- 1 egg
- 1 cup uncooked brown rice
- 2 cups broccoli
- 1 tsp. bone meal
- 1 cup water
Instructions
I love sharing the homemade dog food recipes that I create, but I often get comments from readers and viewers who say that they don't have the time to make homemade meals for their dogs.
With a little bit of water and some of the best healthy ingredients, you can prepare homemade dog food in your slow cooker while you're busy doing other things.
I'm a mother, a wife and I work full time. I completely understand being too busy to cook, especially for your pets.
I prepare meals for my dogs in advance and freeze them. I can make enough food for a month in just a few hours.
I can easily pull out meals each day to thaw for my pets. If you'd prefer to feed your dog a fresh meal every day, you can make a different dog food recipe for large breeds every few days.
For this slow cooker dog food, all you have to do is add the ingredients to the slow cooker and turn it on. Most slow cookers are programmable, but if yours isn't you'll have to keep an eye on the time.
Set your slow cooker on high heat and cook the recipe for 4-6 hours. Once finished, you can easily stir the recipe to combine the ingredients equally.
Once the food has cooled, you can feed it to your pet.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/2 cup
- Calories: 88
- Sugar: .2 g
- Sodium: 28 mg
- Fat: 2.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.9 g
- Fiber: .6 g
- Protein: 8.4 g
- Cholesterol: 41 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 75-pound dog would eat about 1.5 cups in the morning and 1.5 cups 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 your 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 dog food recipe for large breeds in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze it, and it’ll keep for up to 3 months. Keep in mind that this recipe includes no preservatives, so it won't last nearly as long as commercial dog food.
For More Information
We publish many homemade dog food and treat 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.
