Instant Pot Dog Food Recipe Vet Approved

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Easy Homemade Dog Food Recipe

Homemade Dog Food Recipe| Instant Pot | Vet Approved

Jump to RecipeMy easy homemade dog food recipe combines lean ground sirloin, wholesome brown rice, fresh vegetables, hard boiled eggs, and tender herbs

***Please note, I am not a veterinarian, just a very passionate dog owner! The information in this blog post documents our own personal experiences, research, and the recipes that we feed our dogs under our veterinarian’s careful supervision. Please, consult with your vet and use your own personal judgment when considering transitioning to a 100% human-grade food diet for your pup. This post was updated with video August 16, 2020, updated with additional recipe links 9/14/2020, updated 1/7/2021 with metric measurements, updated 1/3/2022 with recipe links for hydrating meals.***

What About The Cost

I admit it: homemade dog food is more expensive than the cheap kibble from the store.

Its not full of fillers, CAFO animal body parts, or cheap grains. Those are the ingredients that make processed dog food so cheap.

Homemade dog food is, however, less expensive than many brands of organic, grain-free, or even Paleo dog foods. As I mentioned, I was feeding our dogs a reputable brand of healthy dog food. I was spending about $30 per month on that dog food.

I spend about $40 per month on ingredients for our homemade dog food in the Instant Pot.

The extra cost in money and time is so worth it because we have happy, healthy dogs who will likely be with us for years to come!

Puppys Best Homemade Dog Food With Pork

Ah, another lovely pork recipe. Really inspired from: KnoxVilleWeekend.com

My four-legged fur babies love pork, and with their big brown soulful eyes, I literally cant deny them.

This recipe asks specifically for a carnivore powder supplement.

The Balance IT brand is a really good one but there others on the market, just make sure to read the fine print on any canine supplement.

Take precautions of course, but extra vitamins and minerals are never a bad thing.

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Raw Food Is It Right For Your Dog

Raw feeding is a more primal type of feeding, where dogs are provided with raw meat, uncooked bones, organs, plus fruits & veggies.

I thought about switching Roxy & Rico to a raw food diet, but Rico is a struggle eater. For a pup that was living on the streets of Puerto Rico, youd think hed eat pretty much anything.

Granted, he was very young when we found him, but man. This boy has been known to spend 15 minutes trying to eat a single goldfish cracker!

Hes an extremely picky, very slow eater. Plus, he has a very high metabolism and if hes fed too little, or he eats dinner too early, he tends to get a bit pukey early the next morning.

Thats why I decided to try cooking meals for them in my Instant Pot. My main goal is to provide the best food possible and try to resolve his tummy issues.

Can You Add Fruit To Homemade Dog Food

Homemade Dog Food

Absolutely! Fruit has a lot of nutrients that are great for dogs. Just don’t go overboard with it. We often use what is in season or what we have in the freezer.

Absolutely! Fruit has a lot of nutrients that are great for dogs. Just don’t go overboard with it. We often use what is in season or what we have in the freezer. We like to use some kind of berries – strawberries or blueberries are best. Apples are also really good for dogs, just be sure to avoid the seeds.Do NOT use grapes as they are very bad for dogs. You can add fruit before or after cooking, just beware that if you cook with blueberries, your dog food will turn purple.

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Is It Truly Easy To Make Dog Food

YES!! It was surprisingly simple to make their dog food, and way less expensive than I thought it would be! This recipe is easy and SUPER adaptable and doesnt follow a traditional recipe in the sense that it needs precise measurements.

I recommend taking a look at Balance IT. It is a wonderful resource to give TONS of ideas of what you can add in or substitute.

Dogs Need Fruits & Veggies Too

While your dog doesnt need to choke down a big salad everyday, its still vital to her health to eat a few well-chosen veggies. I use a variety of frozen vegetables because its the easiest and most economical way for me to make sure Betsy and Willow are eating their vegetables.

I buy frozen California Medley veggies . Three 12-ounce bags is the perfect amount for this homemade dog food recipe.

If you cant find the California Medley or you want to mix it up a bit, combine any or all of these vegetables, either fresh or frozen, to equal 5 cups:

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My Instant Pot Dog Food Testers:

This is when I started making Bailey Mae and Jeb Instant Pot Dog Food.

Its really easy, it takes 30 minutes, and the dogs absolutely love it.

It may be the best dog food.

I love that I control what they are eating.

Add more or add less of a particular ingredient as I choose.

It reminds me to think about how much I hate feeding my humans processed foods.

I KNOW thats not good for them.

Did you know processed dog food is just like that?

Think about that.

We love our fur babies and yet for the sake of cheaper or lack of knowledge, we choose to feed them processed dog food.

Learn how to check your dog food.

We talked to Baileys veterinarian and were told dogs need lots of protein, but also fat, and fat-soluble vitamins as well as healthy carbohydrates .

Keep in mind there are foods that you should not feed your dogs .

Bailey Mae and Jeb love it.

They *think* its human food..the same stuff were eating.

And seriously?

There is no reason why, with some added spices, it wouldnt work like a humans meal.

What Do Dogs Need In Homemade Dog Food

VET APPROVED HOMEMADE + HEALTHY DOG FOOD RECIPE | COOKING FOR YOUR DOG

Did you know that dogs require 10 amino acids in specific amounts, linoleic fatty acid, 12 vitamins and 12 minerals in their diet? Too much, too little or an imbalanced ratio of certain nutrients can lead to disease.

Veterinarians are pretty gun-shy about recommending home-cooked dog food. Weve seen what people cook for their dogs and it usually consists of chicken breasts and rice or ground beef and sweet potato, but it rarely includes all the vitamins and minerals a dog needs to thrive.

Most veterinarians recommend homemade food only as a last resort. Its either when the dog refuses to eat anything else, or when a dog owner insists on preparing a homemade diet.

I love making my dogs food. I would love it if more people would make their dogs food. But I see how many pitfalls and challenges are involved.

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Muttloaf Homemade Dog Food

If you want to make your dog’s food from scratch, this easy to make recipe for Muttloaf Homemade Dog Food is a great place to start. Baking it in muffin tins makes easy to serve and store portions. Make with a combination of various lean ground meats and vegetables for a healthy alternative to store bought bagged food.

Homemade Dog Food Recipes: Vet

While many commercial dog food brands are on the market, many dog-owners find making healthy dog food at home appealing. Whether just for fun or maybe your dog needs a special diet? There are plenty of homemade options that can meet your dogs nutritional balance requirements, especially when using vet-approved recipes. Not only can you cater recipes to meet your dog’s particular size, breed, and activity level, but you can also help ease medical concerns or control dietary restrictions. The key is to make sure your dog is getting the nutrition he or she needs, including protein, carbohydrates, fiber, and fat. Lets get into why each of these is vital to your dogs growth and how to incorporate them into your fresh dog food.

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Homemade Dog Food Recipes

Want to try your hand and learn how to make homemade dog food? The classic proportions are 50% protein , 25% vegetables, and 25% carbohydrates . But which ingredients should you use, and how can you make sure your dog food recipe is healthy?

To help you find the best recipes, weve put together this list of 10 healthy dog food recipes to try today. Making dog food at home can save you money and give you more control over what your dog eats. Scroll down to try one of our favorite homemade dog food recipes! And if you have questions, take a look at our recipe tips at the end.

Foods Not Safe For Dogs:

Well Balanced Homemade Dog Food Recipes

The most important thing to know when making homemade dog food for your dog are the foods they should NOT eat.

You can do a quick google search for an all inclusive list or buy a doggie cookbook for reference. Heres a list from the Humane Society of foods that can be poisonous to pets. Be sure to take the necessary precautions if you plan to start cooking for your dog, but also know, theres really not that much to worry about!

Here are some common human foods that should not be fed to your dog:

Charlie LOVES his homemade food and Im excited to experiment with new recipes and treats for him, so if you want to see more recipes for your pup, let me know in the comment section below!

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When People Find Out We Make Our Own Dog Food At Home They Always Ask Us What About A Raw Diet So Let’s Get That Out Of The Way First

There are LOTS of thoughts and theories on feeding your dog a raw diet especially a dog that is living with kidney disease. Our vet however, was personally opposed to feeding a raw diet due to the fact that dogs, just like us, are very susceptible to food poisoning. Besides that, a raw diet can be tricky to get just right! You run the risk of giving your dog a horrible belly ache by mixing a raw diet with cooked treats, so if you decided to go raw it is important to have both raw meals and raw treats planned for your pup at all times. NO MIXING the two! Since raw and cooked foods digest at different rates any combination of the two can wreak serious havoc on your pup’s gut which can lead to some pretty unpleasant situations for you – if you get my drift.

Rovers Chicken And Veggies Instant Pot Dog Food

We whipped this up in our test kitchen and our office dogs were big fans. The mix of ingredients provides plenty of healthy protein, fiber, and vitamins, though it does not provide a complete nutrient profile for your dog. This recipe is intended as a delicious, wholesome supplement to your dogs regular diet, rather than a complete meal replacement.

Ingredients

  • Add 1 cup of brown rice
  • Add 2 chicken breast on top of rice
  • Add the rest of the ingredients: chopped carrots, green beans, sweet potatoes, along with peas and berries
  • Manual high pressure 25 min
  • Natural release 10 min
  • Manual high pressure for 25 min. Natural release for 10.
  • Garnish with parsley

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How To Make Homemade Dog Food In The Instant Pot

First, set your Instant Pot to sauté mode. Add coconut oil and the ground turkey. Break up the turkey as it cooks, using a spatula or wooden spoon.

When the turkey is cooked, turn the pot off. If there are any brown bits at the bottom of the pot, deglaze it with some of the water.

Next, add your rinsed rice, and the remaining water. You can pat the rice down with the spatula to make sure it’s covered by the water.

Then, add the carrots and green beans on top of the rice. Don’t stir everything together.

Is Homemade Dog Food Good For Dogs

VET APPROVED HOMEMADE HEALTHY DOG FOOD RECIPE | COOKING FOR YOUR DOG | PART 2

While I am not a vet, and I certainly cant speak for all animals , I can tell you that switching to homemade dog food made the world of difference for Rascal. We had a very unique case with him and his food allergies, but we have also seen other positive changes.

On traditional dog food, Rascal was lethargic, he shed in abundance and his appetite was mediocre. He was also low in his weight class, weighing in at just 64 pounds for a full-sized male Golden Retriever.

Since the dog food switch, he has been energetic, focused, and calmer. He has also put on about 15 pounds in just one year after switching to homemade food. On a traditional diet, were vacuuming at least once a day but now only 1-2x a week. We no longer have to coax Rascal into mealtime and have finally developed a great eating schedule.

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How To Make It

To make homemade dog food, I use my Instant Pot, but you can use any pressure cooker. To make homemade dog food on the stove, you can check out my recipe for homemade dog food on the stove. You can also make this with a crockpot/slow cooker, just cook the meat first on the stove – then combine it all and let it cook on low for a few hours to let the flavors come together.

First, set the Instant Pot to “Saute” and cook the ground meat. Pour off any fat and once cooled, discard it.

Add the drained meat back to the Instant Pot. Dump in the leftover rice and mix well. If you are using barley, quinoa, oats, or sweet potatoes instead of rice, skip to the next step.

Next, add the bone broth and coconut oil. Stir to combine and let the coconut oil melt.

Then, add in the vegetables. I try to use around 24 ounces which would be two 12-ounce bags or one and a half 16-ounce bags. Mix well.

If you are using barley, quinoa, oats, or sweet potatoes instead of rice, add them now and mix to combine everything.

Finally, put the lid on and close the vent so it is set to Sealing. Set your Instant Pot to “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” mode at High Pressure for 7 minutes.

Allow all of the pressure to release naturally, which should take around 5 minutes. If it takes a little longer, thats okay. Then carefully open your Instant Pot pointing the lid away from you so you dont get steamed.

Let the dog food cool completely before serving it or storing it.

Why Should Dogs Have Vegetables In Their Diet

Dogs are healthier and live longer when they take in fresh vegetables. Some of the health benefits include increased metabolism, improved digestion, better skin and coat condition, obesity prevention, and a strengthened immune system.

In order to enjoy these benefits dogs need to get the right amount of vegetables in their diets. Adding them to this recipe helps them reach optimal nutrition levels!

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How Do You Make Homemade Dog Food

  • Cook turkey: In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add ground turkey, begin to break it down, and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until mostly cooked through.
  • Chop veggies: With a food processor, finely chop sweet potatoes, carrots, zucchini and broccoli.
  • Add vegetables and stock: Add in the chopped vegetables and chicken stock . Cook on a strong simmer for 7-8 minutes, or until veggies are tender and cooked through.
  • Stir in pasta: Mix in your cooked pasta noodles to the turkey vegetable mixture.
  • Feed your pups: Portion out meals accordingly. For every 10 lbs, you need roughly 1/2 cup of food per meal. Example: If you have a 20 lb dog, they will eat 1-1.5 cups of the batch per meal . Rascal weighs 70 pounds and eats about 3-3.5 cups per meal .
  • Why Is The Instant Pot Better For Cooking Chicken For Dogs Than Other Cooking Methods

    Healthy Homemade Dog Food Fast (with a pressure cooker)

    One of the main reasons why the Instant Pot is a better option for cooking chicken for dogs is that there is no need to use any oil. When oil is used to cook meat, it could make the dog sick. With the Instant Pot, the chicken can be cooked directly with the rice in water, eliminating the need for extra fats or oil.

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    Healthy Instantpot Dog Food Recipe

    I am a lucky girl. My mom bought me an InstantPot for my birthday, and I love it. One thing I really wanted to do with it was create healthy dog food. I googled all over for a healthy InstantPot dog food recipe, but couldnt find anything. There is one dog food recipe on the InstantPot site, but its not very healthy. At the same time I was doing all this searching, my friend Jodi from Heart Like a Dog sent me a pet food recipe book that was created by a holistic veterinarian. The book explains the best ingredients, proper ratio of meat and carbs, and everything else you need to know about pet nutrition.

    Knowing that I would need a pretty simple recipe if I was actually going to cook it, I took all the knowledge I had learned, and came up with this recipe. I dont like cooking, and barely cook for us, but this is really easy.

    Pin this image to save and share.

    Ok lets get to the recipe.

    Vegetables. I peeled and chopped up one sweet potato that was about 6 inches long. I ended up with 2 cups. 2 whole carrots that were around 7 inches long when chopped gave me 1 1/2 cups. I then shredded some spinach until my one cup measuring cup was full. You could also use peas.

    Throw that in the InstantPot.

    Added 1 cup of brown rice. Brown rice is important because it still has all the good fiber that white rice does not. And dogs need fiber to stay healthy.

    Put the rice in the pot, then add 2 1/2 cups water.

    I added 1/2 teaspoon of the ground shells.

    Everything was cooked to perfection.

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