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.
Making Instant Pot Dog Food For Your Pet
I’ve experimented with quite a few different homemade dog food recipes, some hits and lots of misses. The fiber filled dog food is a great standby when constipation is an issue. With most homemade dog food, Chloe digs around to find bits and pieces she likes more than others. I had gotten pretty used to that and when I watched her with this homemade dog food recipe I was surprised she was nitpicking at it. Instead, she devoured mouthful after mouthful without avoiding anything.
Homemade Dog Food Recipes Every Dog Parent Should Know
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Dogs are part of the family, and while you only want to feed your kids the very best foods, the same goes for our pups.
Weve all read about the scary dog food recalls and some of the sketchy things that go into lower-grade dog foods. If you buy quality dog food, youre fine. But it can be comforting to know exactly what is going into your dogs food. Thats why some pup parents make their own dog food from scratch.
Making homemade dog food is also a good option for pups with chronic health issues, like diabetes or intestinal issues. Its something to consider, too, if you have a dog who is overweight or older.
We bring our dog Toby to doggy daycare a few times a week, and the manager, a super sweet gal named Jen, feeds her two rescue pups homemade dog food every day. One of them was having major stomach issues, and a blander diet did wonders for her health. Shes like a new dog because of it.
Just a note: Before you make any big changes to your dogs diet, always consult with their veterinarian. And keep an eye on your pup after feeding them the new food to see how theyre doing. Chances are theyll be just fine, perhaps with even more pep in their step, but you just want to be sure.
To get you inspired, here are 10 easy and nutritious dog food recipes you can make at home right now.
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Benefits Of Instant Pot Dog Food
This recipe is by far a dog favorite and it’s packed with a lot of nutritionally beneficial ingredients. I made a huge batch in the 8-quart multi-cooker, left enough out for a week, and froze about 15 servings. For Chloe, ½ cup twice a day is just right . Of course, you’ll want to discuss a dietary change with your veterinarian and assess your dog’s nutritional needs.
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
- Add the water
- 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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Chicken & Brown Rice Stew
Cheap and healthy, this recipe from Tales from the Back Road even includes finely ground eggshells for a kick of calcium. This dish boasts brown rice , plus spinach, carrot, peas, and chicken thighs for added protein. Double or triple the recipe and store whats left in the freezer for a quick dog dinner fix!
What Is The Ideal Ratio Of Chicken And Rice When Feeding A Dog
Ideally, you should measure the chicken and rice in thirds. A dog should eat 1/3 chicken to 2/3 rice, according to the portion size that you are feeding them.
You should determine the portion size by the dogs weight, as a dog should eat 2 to 3 % of their weight in a day. If you feed your dog 2 cups of food, the portion should consist of 2/3 cups chicken and 1 1/3 cup rice.
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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.
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:
- zucchini
- raspberries
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Easy Diy Dog Food You Can Make In Your Instant Pot
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There are many reasons that making homemade food for your dog is a bright ideafrom the undeniable health benefits to the amount of money it can save you. Theres just the pesky problem of the time commitment. Well, weve got your solution. Bust out your crockpot or that Instant Pot you got for the holidays because these healthy dog food recipes couldnt be easier. Unless, you know, you got your dog to make them.
Keep in mind that if switching from commercial to homemade dog food, its important to make sure your dog gets all their needed nutrients. Consult with your vet before going entirely homemade. These recipes are healthy, safe, and nutritious for dogs, but they are not intended as a complete diet for your dog. For more information, you cant beat the advice of Dr. Gary Richter, member of Rovers Dog People Panel of experts and holistic veterinarian. His book The Ultimate Pet Health Guide contains 50 recipes for homemade dog food, in fact!
How To Make Homemade Dog Food Using An Instant Pot
Add the rice, carrots and peas to the instant pot.
Next place the chunks of pork on top of the vegetables.
Pour the chicken broth and water over the rice, veggies and meat.
Place the lid on the instant pot. Set the pressure valve to seal. Push the Meat button on the front of the instant pot to 1 hour.
When the time is up, select the Cancel button. Allow the instant pot to naturally release the pressure for 45 minutes. Open the pressure valve and release the remaining pressure.
Take the lid off of the pot. Using two forks, shred the meat and remove the remaining bones.
Carefully, use an immersion blender to process the food until mostly smooth. A few small chunks is fine.
Serve. Freeze leftovers.
Also Check: How To Make Coconut Yogurt With Probiotics Instant Pot
Why Consider Making Dog Food At Home
Aside from being better for your dog, making Instant Pot dog food can put your mind at ease on what food your pet is taking in.
Whereas on commercial dog food, there are a lot of questionable ingredients and unnecessary additives that can affect the quality of the food. With this, your dog may not get the nutrients he needs.
Below are the reasons why making Instant Pot dog food is beneficial for your furry friend:
- As pet owners, you control what nutrients get into your dog’s body. You are the one to choose what meat, vegetables, fruits, and supplements to include in the meal diet.
- When your pal has allergies, you can limit what food is safe for him to eat.
- Although costly, homemade dog food recipes use ingredients with no additives and by-products, unlike commercial dog food. Its recipes are entirely healthy and natural, and you can also use leftovers and customize the meal according to your dog’s liking.
Homemade Instant Pot Dog Food Pups Love
Today we are sharing this homemade and delicious Instant Pot Dog Food Recipe. It’s a real winner and one I’m sure your dog will love.
Having a picky fur child has taught me that I have to be a little extra creative when it comes to meals. After wasting countless amounts of money on dog food that Chloe wouldn’t touch, I realized the best solution for her, me, and my wallet was to make her food myself. Not only do I get to control the ingredients, but I can also make sure she’s eating what she needs when she needs it. Her health is my main concern after all.
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Why Should You Feed A Dog Chicken And Rice
If youre looking to feed your dogs more homemade foods because you want to know what ingredients youre giving them, chicken and rice is one of the best options. Dogs need simple foods to digest, and the combination of chicken and rice is perfect because theres one protein and one carbohydrate.
Chicken and rice are also two of the easiest foods for your dogs stomach to digest. The only exception is if the dog has an allergy to chicken.
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!
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Keep your dog healthy and fit with this easy peasy homemade recipe its cheaper than store-bought and chockfull of fresh veggies!
I never thought I would be one of those dog owners who made homemade human food for their pups. Not in a million years.
But when Butters recently fell sick with an upset stomach, our vet advised us to feed him a bland diet chicken and rice without any kind of seasoning. So thats what we did we poached a chicken, shredded it in a food processor, and mixed in some white rice and fed him this bland diet for 3 days.
Thats when I started to do some research on homemade dog food, and I have been so amazed as to how many different kinds of vegetables dogs can have. And with the help of Balance IT, you can create so many different recipes for your pup!
Now the best part about making homemade dog food just like making anything at home is that you know exactly what is going into the dog bowl, and not any of that questionable gelatinous gunk from the canned food.
But its important to note that dogs have different nutrient requirements than humans for their proportional body size, such as:
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 pups breed and/or needs.
Easy Homemade Crockpot Dog Food Recipe Or Instant Pot
Alright, so since we are dealing with a slow cooker recipe we need to tweak the times and water measurement just a bit.
This recipe is really versatile, which is perfect for my household because I have one pooch who hates turkey and one who hates chicken but only if its ground, shredded is a ok, go figure.
Finely ground egg shells can be an excellent source of calcium but we cannot stress finely ground enough.
As stated above, brown rice is chock full of fiber but it can be a little ruff on your dogs tummy.
This recipe uses white rice as it tends to be better for sensitive stomach. Feel free to switch it up if your dog doesnt have digestive issues.
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How To Adapt For Instant Pot Cooking
Once youve found a few recipes to try, youll need to adapt them to cooking in your Instant Pot. Here are a few suggestions:
- Use less liquid. You need at least 1 cup of broth or water to create the steam necessary to cook the food, but not much more. You can always add more after cooking if the meal is too dry.
- Dont fill the Instant Pot more than two-thirds full. Unlike a slow cooker, the Instant Pot needs room to create pressure to cook.
- Adjust the cooking time. Cooking meat takes only two-thirds the time in an Instant Pot that it does in an oven vegetables and pasta, like rice, take only about 5 minutes.
- Look for recipes with ground beef or turkey. That way, you can use the saute mode to cook the meat before adding pasta and/or vegetables.
- Set the pot to pressure cook and cook for between 5 and 7 minutes.
- Add any nutritional supplements or dietary aids after the food has finished cooking.
Note: Youll probably have to play around to find the right mix of ingredients and cooking time for each recipe. To make sure youre not overfeeding your pup, know the calorie count for the entire dish so you can control portion size appropriately.
Rover’s Chicken And Veggies Instant Pot Dog Food
Ingredients:
- 2 cups of white rice
- 1 to 2 cups frozen spinach
- 5 cups water
How to Make:
In your Instant Pot, add half a cup of water, then add the frozen chicken breasts. Then, seal the lid and put the Pot at high pressure for 30 minutes.
While the chicken is still cooking, peel and slice the carrots and sweet potato into dice.
After 30 minutes of cooking the chicken, fully release the steam from the Pot, then open the cover.
Next, add the diced carrots, sweet potatoes, rice, and hot water to the cooked chicken. Then, stir until all the rice is underwater.
Again, set the Instant Pot at high pressure for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, fully release the stress and open the lid.
Mix in the spinach, then shred the chicken using a large spoon. Combine the vegetables and rice thoroughly.
Lastly, portion the food into five Tupperware containers and refrigerate to serve later.
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Dogs Need Healthy Carbs
Betsys food was not low-carb because I used butternut squash or sweet potatoes or pumpkin. I also added in frozen blueberries for the antioxidants, vitamins, and extra boost of low-glycemic carbs.
Now that we have 2 dogs and Betsy lost the weight, its much more economical to use soaked rice, but I still mix it up with the sweet potatoes now and then.
If your dog needs to be on a grain-free diet because of weight or food allergies, diced sweet potato/butternut squash/pumpkin are much-loved by our furry friends!
Use either rice OR sweet potato/butternut squash/pumpkin. Theres no need to use rice with sweet potato/butternut squash/pumpkin.
