Dog Information

How can i make my own dog food- and save $ doing it?

I have a 55 lb Flat Coated Retriever (black lab type dog). I really would like to make homemade dog food for her to save some money and to get her away from eating commercial dog food. Do you have any links to dog food recipes, any tips, do you make your own dog food, etc... I don't have a large freezer to store things in, but I was thinking about it and I Really want to try making her dog food. Let me know if you can help me out with it!

Public Comments

1. yes! Here is a website that will give you recipes for dog food: http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/cairnterrier.htm I personally love to make my dog treats! They are great for training, and they break easily into pieces for smaller dogs! Dog treat: Ground up dog food. half a cup Crumble in vegetables like carrots and celery. one fourth cup add a small amount of flour add milk or water, whatever you like best also add a small amount of peanut butter for color and taste mix and combine until you have a gooey substance, but on the wetter side. Roll out and use small cookie cutters to cut out the dog treats. Put them in the oven at 350 degrees and bake for awhile, until they look about done. Let them sit, because they will harden later. Dog food recipes: http://www.i-love-dogs.com/dog-food-recipes.html http://www.recipesource.com/misc/pet-food/dog/ I hope that I helped!
2. my vet told me its okay to give my dog boiled meats and chicken. veggies and fruits are good too just dont give her any foods on this list and talk to your vet about the foods you do want to give her! http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1661&articleid=1030
3. Yes you CAN do it. Would it be cheaper? Probably not for a dog that size, esp if you are purchasing quality ingredients. Here's a website with recipes: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/28515/homemade_dog_food_recipes.html Personally I would just go with a quality dry food like Canidae All Life Stages. It does not have corn wheat or added fillers so you feed less, they get quality nutrition, and the bottom line price is about the same. Plus there IS the added convenience of having to just rip and pour... no mucking about in the kitchen or worrying about freezer space... http://www.canidae.com/dogs/all_life_stages/dry.html
4. just give a read to the back of any reputable dog food bag, then omit anything you can't pronounce as it is probably crap a dog doesn't need anyways, or preservatives. Alot of dog foods main ingredients are rice, meats and some vegatables. Check with your vet to see if there are any foods your dog should stay away from, and go from there.
5. I don't think you are going to save $$, since doggie meat doesn't have to go through the regulations regular meat does, which makes it cheaper.
6. Leftovers, They love them.
7. The Ultimate Diet (Natural Nutrition for Dogs & Cats) by Kymythy R Schutze, A.H.I. Give Your Dog A Bone (The practical commonsense way to feed dogs for a long healthy life) by Dr. Ian Billinghurst, V.V.Sc.(Hons), B.Sc.Agr., Dip.Ed.
8. Making your own dog food is very expensive and time consuming. My two labs ate home made meals all their lives...plus took vitamins for their extra suppliments. Be prepared to spend a lot of money and time. And remember.....table scraps don't count.
9. making your own food WONT be cheaper... especially if you factor in your time... best thing is to feed a top quality food - NOT any from grocery store or Wal Mart - with the top quality foods you get more nutrition and less filler so your dog wont need to eat as much - in the long run the better foods save you money - less poop too!!! best idea is to PLANT a garden and suppliment the dogs food with things you can grow yourself.. like potatoes, tomatoes.. beans.. brown rice is something you can easily prepare when making your own meal just make some extra and give to your dog.
10. http://www.doityourselrecipes.com
11. this is a site that was so very helpful to me when I was first getting started making my dog's food http://www.b-naturals.com/Apr2006.php