When searching for homemade dog food recipes online, you will often come across large meal ideas that have to be cooked in a gumbo pot. That’s fine for owners of two big dogs, and that gumbo pot of food would last you a week, but that isn’t practical for someone with a single lap dog. Homemade dog food recipes for small dogs are often hard to come by.
Because small dog owners are often ignored, so far I’ve collected a list of 5 homemade dog food recipes for small dogs that you can keep on hand, with some dog treats thrown in here for good measure. These recipes are easy to modify, too. Remember to include some homemade dog food supplements to make these meals well-balanced. Leftovers can be refrigerated for 5 days and frozen for up to 3 months.
1) Easy Slow Cooker Beef & Rice Meal
We love this recipe for its nutritional value, its quick prep time (10 minutes) and its easy crockpot cooking. It yields 12, cups and, like the beef stew, can be frozen for future feedings.
Ingredients
- ½ pound ground beef
- 1 small potato (sliced small)
- 6 green beans (chopped)
- ¼ cup instant rice
- 3¼ cup water
Nutritional Info (per 1 cup serving):
- Calories: 400
- Protein: 39.1g
- Fat: 7g
- Carbs: 44.2 g
- Minerals & Vitamins: Iron, Potassium, Calcium
Directions
- Brown ground beef in pan.
- Add rice and water to microwave safe bowl and cook for 4 minutes.
- Pour 3 cups of water in pot. Add potatoes and beans. Simmer until tender.
- Drain vegetables.
- Add vegetables and rice to meat and stir.
- Cool and serve.
2) Mama’s Meatloaf
What do meat lovers love? Meatloaf. Dogs go crazy for this tried and true comfort food, too. Compacted meat and veggies? What’s not to love! When grappling with homemade dog food recipes for small dogs, consider a hearty meatloaf, and sit back while your dog dives into a delicious meal made with lots o’ love. As you shop for ingredients, feel free to use whichever type of meat is on sale so your new dog food-making venture fits well within your budget. Ideally, a nutritious dog diet consists of 1/3 protein and 2/3 grain or vegetable. Keep this in mind when preparing homemade dog food recipes for small dogs.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 quarter cups of shredded vegetables (your choice, but variety is better)
- 2lbs of ground beef
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup of cottage cheese
- 1 ½ cups of old-fashioned oatmeal
- 1 tbsp. ground up flax seeds
Simple enough, huh? Even the most inexperienced chef in the kitchen can whip up this treat for their pup. For efficiency, cook up a big batch and freeze to keep fresh for up to 3 months. For added convenience, fill a cupcake pan with the mixture for single servings.
3) Turkey, Rice And Veggie Mix Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of ground turkey
- 2 cups of brown rice
- 1 cup of carrots, chopped
- 1 cup of green beans, chopped
- 1 tablespoon of fish oil or olive oil
- 4 cups of water
Directions:
- Cook ground turkey over medium heat until browned.
- Add brown rice, turkey, and water to large pot and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and cook 15 minutes.
- Add carrots and green beans and cook for 5 to 10 minutes more.
- Cool and serve.
Now this recipe here has a balance of 50% protein, 25% veggies and 25% grains, but the ratios can easily be adjusted to suit your puppy’s breed and/or needs.
4) Fish & Peanut Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 cup of rolled oats
- ½ cup of smooth peanut butter
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- ½ tablespoon of fish oil
- 1 ¾ cups of water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°
- Mix flour and oats together in large bowl.
- Pour in one cup water and blend until smooth.
- Add peanut butter, honey, fish oil. Mix again.
- Add ¾ cup of water slowly while still mixing.
- Cut into shape. Bake for 40 minutes.
- Cool and serve.
5) Blackberry Biscuits
Ingredients:
- 1 egg
- 4 cups almond flour
- ¾ cup flax meal
- ½ cup blackberries
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 cup water
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all ingredients together to form dough.
- Roll dough out and cut out biscuits.
- Bake for 30 minutes.
- Cool and serve.
