Did you know that 1 in 4 dogs will suffer from arthritis or other joint problems in their lifetime? In some dogs, these problems develop with age. In others, hip and joint problems are genetic and can affect them at a very young age. If your dog shows signs of joint or hip problems, this homemade dog food for joint and hip health may be appropriate to add to their diet.
Just like arthritis in humans, hip and joint pain can be debilitating. You should seek veterinary care immediately if you think your dog is showing signs of joint pain. Preventative care can help ward off these health issues, but once your dog shows signs, he needs a treatment regimen to stop degeneration.
One of the tools in your treatment arsenal will be proper nutrition. There are many ingredients and supplements that you can add to your dog's food to help with the inflammation and pain associated with joint and hip pain. If you plan to make this homemade dog food for joint and hip health, be sure to check with your veterinarian to make sure it will meet your dog's nutritional needs.
MORE: How You Should Feed Dogs with Arthritis
Homemade Dog Food for Joint and Hip Health
Ingredients
- 6 cups of water
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 1 cup of celery
- 2 cups of carrots
- 2 cups of kale
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1.5 cups of barley
- 1/2 cup brown rice
- 1/2 cup lentils
- 1 cup parsley (fresh or dried)
- 1 cup nettles (fresh or dried)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
Directions
What I like best about using a slow cooker to prepare your dog’s food is that once you add the ingredients, you barely have to tend to it. Unlike cooking meals on the stovetop, there is no need to constantly stir the food or check on it all the time to ensure it’s not burning.
Add all the ingredients into the slow cooker and set it on low. It will need to cook for about 6-8 hours. You can also cook the food on medium/high heat for 3-4 hours if you'll be home to tend to it. You'll need to stir it about every 20 minutes if you turn the heat up.
If cooking on low, you’ll want to stir the food occasionally to break up the ground turkey, but no worries if you’re not home to do it. You can always use a large spoon to break the ground turkey into smaller pieces when the food is finished cooking.
You can cook this dog food recipe during the day while you’re away at work or overnight while you’re sleeping. Once it’s finished cooking, just let it cool, and you can serve it immediately. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
If you'd like to prepare this recipe in bulk, you can also freeze this homemade dog food for joint and hip health in an airtight container for storage of up to 3 months! If you prepared a batch of this food daily for a week, you’d have enough to store for months of easy doggy dinners.
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