While most people are comfortable and accustomed to feeding their pet ready dog food, there are many who dispute the nutritional value of these packaged foods, and are suspicious of their contents. Some owners are concerned that homemade dog food may not cater to all the nutritional needs of their pooch. Let me assure you that homemade dog food can be just as nutritious, sometimes even more, than commercially prepared dog food. You can also cater to the special needs of a pet with an illness or condition. If your dog has canine kidney disease he may need low protein dog food, or diabetic dog food if he has high blood sugar levels.

Most people maintain a proportion of one-third protein, one-third carbohydrate, and one-third vegetable and fruit in homemade dog foods. However, it always helps to consult your vet, who may have useful inputs on how to make nutritious dog food.

Recipes for Homemade Dog Foods

Snoopy's Favorite
Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp cottage cheese
  • 2 cups leftover mashed potatoes
  • 1 cup grated carrots
  • 1 pound ground chicken, fried
Directions

Stir together the ground chicken, potatoes and grated carrots. Heat the mixture in an oven for 10 minutes or in the microwave for 3 minutes. Once cool, add between 1 to 3 tablespoons of cottage cheese over it and serve!

Savory Turkey
Ingredients
  • 6 cups water
  • (16 ounce) package frozen broccoli, carrots and cauliflower combination
  • 1 pound ground turkey
  • 1 tsp dried rosemary
  • 2 cups brown rice
Directions

Place the water, ground turkey, rice, and rosemary into a large pan. Stir until the ground turkey is well blended with the rest of the ingredients. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables, and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Cool and serve or store.

Yummy Liver Treats
Ingredients
  • 1 pound raw liver (any kind) blended into a paste
  • tsp brewers yeast (adds a nutty flavor)
  • 1 egg
  • tsp oregano
  • 1 cup flour
  • cup cornmeal (or flour)
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Start by blending the raw liver into a smooth paste. In a mixing bowl, whisk the egg and then add the yeast, oregano, flour, and cornmeal. Then stir in the liver paste. Place small portions in greased molds or in a inch layer in a greased pan and bake for half hour at the same heat. Remove from oven and allow to cool. If baked in the pan, slice into doggy treat sized bites.

Quick Doggy Meal
Ingredients
  • 4 cups rice
  • 3 pounds minced chicken meat
  • 6 cups water
  • 2 cups frozen vegetable blend (no garlic or onions), minced
Directions

Mix the chicken, vegetables, rice and water in a large saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil, while stirring continuously. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for about 20 minutes, until the rice is cooked and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Cool and serve or store in the refrigerator.

The best healthy dog food combines nutrition with taste. Some people feed their dogs two meals a day, while others three. Two large meals work well for a small dog, while three meets the needs of a big dog. Most people will testify that home cooked dog food has sustained their pets for longer than the average life span of the breed.