We all have friends or family members that have switched to a grain free, gluten free or other such diet. These types of diets are also becoming more popular in the canine world. This grain free homemade dog food recipe is easy to make, and you can make it in bulk to freeze for later use.
The basis of the grain free diet for canines is derived from the diet of wild dogs. They mainly eat the meat and entrails of other animals. They didn't spend their time grazing through wheat fields, munching on wild rice or chowing down on oats. So, why is commercial dog food made with so many grains now-a-days?
There is research to support both sides of the grain free dog food diet, but ultimately the decision lies with you and your veterinarian. Some dogs need to eat a grain free diet for health reasons. Some pet owners just want to feed their dog a grain free diet for personal reasons.
Whichever category that you fall into, be sure to discuss this diet change with your veterinarian, whether you're using commercial grain free dog food or going the homemade diet route. Switching from a traditional commercial food to a grain free diet without ensuring a gradual transition will surely result in your dog becoming very ill.
If you've gotten the okay from your vet and you're looking for a healthy grain free homemade dog food recipe, this just may be a good fit for your pet. Be sure to run it past your veterinarian first, as they may recommend adding additional vitamin supplements to the recipe.
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Grain Free Homemade Dog Food Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken (2 pounds if you do not have chicken livers)
- .75 pounds chicken livers
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/8 cup coconut oil
- 1 cup squash (chopped)
- 1/2 cup carrots (chopped)
- 1/2 cup green beans (chopped)
- 10 oz. spinach
- 1/8 cup rosemary
- 1/8 cup basil
- 1/8 cup parsley
- 1/8 cup turmeric
- 4 cloves garlic
Directions
I know there are a lot of ingredients in this grain free homemade dog food recipe, but it's actually extremely simple to make. This is a slow cooker recipe, so all you have to do is the prep work.
First, add the chicken to the bottom of the slow cooker and cover it with water. Only add enough water to cover the chicken. Then add the rest of the ingredients on top of the chicken and water.
As you'll see in my video guide above, the spinach will almost fill the slow cooker. You'll need to squash it down a little, but as the recipe cooks the spinach will wilt and eventually you'll have plenty of extra room to stir the dog food.
Cook this grain free homemade dog food recipe on low for about 8 hours. You'll need to stir it every once in a while to mix the spinach in with the other ingredients. Also, after about 4 hours the chicken will be very tender and you'll be able to tear it into smaller pieces and mix it around with the other ingredients.
**Note – The chicken will be tinted yellow, as you can see in the photo above, because of the turmeric added to this recipe.
Once the recipe is done cooking, you can serve it up to your pooch. The recommended serving size is about 1/2 cup daily for every 10 pounds of weight. So, if your dog weighs 80 pounds, he'll need to eat 4 cups of food daily. This should be split into at least two smaller meals.
You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 5 days. You can also freeze this food in an airtight container for storage of up to 3 months.
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