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This is a balanced homemade dog food recipe that my veterinarian recommended to me a few years ago. I want my dogs to live long & healthy lives, so I make their food myself! I like knowing exactly what is in their food. It can get pricey, but hospital bills are even pricier. Healthy food = good health!
This recipe is completely balanced and my dogs LOVE it. They have super shiny coats, healthy teeth, and good breath!
Why you’ll love this recipe
For health reasons obviously! But it’s also perfect for making in bulk, which makes it much more convenient.
You can make a large batch of this once or twice a month, keep it in the freezer, and thaw overnight as needed until you run out. I make about 11 pounds of food (uncooked) and it will last almost 3 weeks for my two small adult dogs (about 10 lbs each).
This recipe can also kinda count as 3 recipes! You can switch out the ground beef for ground turkey or chicken, and just add a little extra beef liver to make up for the iron, zinc, and protein. That way your dog has a little variety in their meals.
How much should I feed my dog?
Check with your veterinarian for how much food your dog needs per serving. My two dogs are about 10 lbs each, and it is generally recommended to feed between 2-3% of their total body weight daily. We feed them once in the morning, and once in the evening.
For example, Leeloo weighs 12 lbs and we feed her 2.5% of her body weight daily. To calculate this, multiply 0.025 by 12 to reach 0.3 lbs. Converting lbs to ounces, this equals 4.8 oz. Divided by 2, is 2.4 oz of food twice a day 🙂
Nutritional info
This recipe has 40 calories per ounce. To see the original recipe posted on Youtube by Dr. Karen Becker and Rodney Habib, click here. This video can provide more information on the nutritional value of all the ingredients in this recipe.
Cooked or Raw?
I gently cook the food for my dogs, but this is still a great recipe if your dog is on a raw diet.
If you choose to cook the food, do so without any oil on a nonstick pan on low heat. Be careful not to sear the meat- you want to gently cook it until it is just done. You can make patties, large chunks, or break it down into mince if you prefer.
I recommend using a stainless steel pan, but you need to know how to use it correctly so that the food does not stick and make a mess. To do this, heat your pan for at least 3 minutes. To test if it’s ready, splash a little water into it. If it sizzles and evaporates, it’s not ready to use. But if the water dances around the pan in little beads, it’s ready.
From that point, lower the heat as much as possible and wait a couple more minutes for the pan to cool down a little. Then add the food and gently cook it over low heat.
Ingredients:
- Very lean ground beef or poultry- This is the main source of protein and has to be lean since dogs have a high amino acid requirement. Compared to ground beef, ground chicken and turkey are lower in protein, iron, and zinc, so you’ll need to make up for it with extra beef liver.
- Hempseed– excellent source of essential fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6. This balances the fats. I buy mine from Sprouts or Costco but it is also available an Amazon here. You can use hempseed oil but be very careful with the heat if you are going to cook it. Hempseed oil becomes very unpleasant to dogs if exposed to high heat.
- Sardines – meets vitamin E & D requirements. You can also use cod liver oil. Use canned sardines in water, not oil.
- Ground ginger- packed with manganese, which supports connective tissue health. This benefits ligaments, tendons, joints, and muscles.
- Kelp powder- packed with iodine and is AMAZING for teeth and coat health! You can purchase the one I use here. I highly recommend this stuff- my dogs have great hair & teeth, and their breath NEVER stinks!
- Eggs & eggshells- eggs are a great source of folic acid and vitamin b12. The eggshells are totally edible and provide the calcium needed for adult dogs, but not puppies.
- Beef liver- provides copper, zinc, and iron. Sprouts sells them in frozen packages that are convenient to use- 4 individually wrapped 4 oz portions.
- Broccoli, red bell pepper, & spinach- veggies add antioxidants, phytonutrients, enzymes, and fiber.
- Leave out the spinach if you have a senior dog with kidney issues. Spinach is not good for dogs with kidney failure because of its oxalates and high sodium content, but this small amount is perfectly fine for healthy dogs.
How to make it
(measurements and instructions provided in recipe card at the end of this post)
Begin by mixing together the ground beef (or chicken or turkey), eggs, kelp, ground ginger, hempseed, sardines, and pumpkin puree (if using). Sometimes I add pumpkin puree for digestive health, but it is not part of the original recipe.
Save half of the eggshells and set them aside.
Drain most of the water from the sardines before you add them in. Try to break them up as much as you can before mixing so that it is evenly distributed throughout the recipe. When it is well combined, set it aside.
Next, add the veggies, eggshells, and beef liver to a food processor and blend until everything is evenly chopped. You may need to do this in batches if your food processor is small.
I use a Hamilton Beach food processor! I love this one because it’s affordable and has a built in side scraper that can be used while the food processor is on.
Add the blended ingredients to the beef and mix until well combined.
How to store it
Portion out the food according to your dog’s daily food intake requirements. Remember that the uncooked food will be ok in the freezer for weeks, but only for a few days in the fridge. Portion accordingly. I do not like to keep cooked dog food in the fridge for more than 4 days.
If you’re going to consistently make this recipe, consider buying reusable freezer bags! I’ve had these for almost a year now and they’re still holding up great. Let’s try to reduce our plastic waste 🙂
The food is ready to serve raw, or you can gently cook it. Cook without any oil on a nonstick pan on low heat. Be careful not to sear the meat- you want to gently cook it until it is just done. You can make patties, large chunks, or break it down into mince if you prefer.
Meet Remy & Leeloo!
Here is a recent picture of our pups! Remy (left) and Leeloo (right) are mother and daughter. We adopted them in 2021 and we love them so much!
I fed this recipe to my previous dog Lucy, who passed away last year from kidney failure and arthritis. She was very old when she passed, but I am not sure exactly how old. I miss her so much.
It is so important to me to make sure I am feeding my dogs the best food possible. I have received SO many messages from readers saying that this recipe saved or improved their dog’s life, and that sincerely brings me so much joy!
Healthy homemade dog treats
If you’re interested in making this recipe for you dog(s), consider making them some healthy treats too! I am working on adding more to the blog, but for now here is an easy one my dogs love:
Green-lipped mussels are packed with nutrients! They are particularly effective in relieving joint pain in dogs. My dogs are dachshund mixes, so I am constantly worried about their impending back and joint pain. They love these little fishy snacks and it gives me peace of mind to know it is helping to reduce inflammation! You can read more about the benefits of green-lipped mussels here.
Balanced Dog Food Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 lbs 90% lean ground beef , or lean ground turkey or chicken
- 1.5 cup hempseeds, or 1/3 cup hempseed oil
- 16 oz canned sardines in water, or 4 tsp cod liver oil
- 4 tsp ground ginger
- 4 tsp kelp powder
- 8 eggs, pasture raised
- 4 egg shells
- 15 oz pumpkin puree, NOT pumpkin pie mix!
- 8 oz beef liver, 12 oz if using ground turkey or chicken instead of ground beef
- 8 oz broccoli
- 8 oz spinach, omit if your dog has kidney issues
- 8 oz red bell pepper
Instructions
- Begin by mixing together the ground beef, eggs, kelp powder, ground ginger, hempseed, (or hempseed oil), sardines, and pumpkin puree (if using). Drain the water from the sardines before you add them in. Save half (4) of the eggshells and set them aside.
- Break up the sardines as much as you can so that it is evenly distributed when mixed.
- Next, process the veggies, eggshells, and beef liver. You may need to do this separately if your food processor can't fit everything. I process everything separately, except for the bell pepper and eggshells- I process those together. I use a Hamilton Beach food processor. I love this one because it has the side scrapers that can be used while the processor is on!
- Add the blended ingredients to the beef and mix until well combined.
- Portion out the food according to your dog's daily food intake requirements. The dog food will be good in the freezer for weeks, but only for a few days in the fridge. Portion accordingly. I do not like to keep cooked dog food in the fridge for more than 4 days.Reusable freezer bags are the way to go! Let's try to reduce plastic waste 🙂
- The food is ready to serve raw, or you can gently cook it. Cook without any oil on a nonstick pan on low heat. Do not try to sear the meat over high heat- you want to gently cook it until it is just done. *Note- If using hempseed oil, cooking the food on high heat for a long period of time will make the hempseed oil taste really bad to the dogs, so be really careful about "gently" cooking it!
- Drain the fat and let it cool completely before storing in the fridge, for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi I’m going to try this recipe for my 10lb chihuahua mix. I’m confused….do you recommend freezing the recipe in portions raw and then lightly cook before serving? And if I lightly cook before freezing am I decreasing the nutrients?
Your recipe doesn’t include any starchy carbs like rice or pastas. Is that ok in your opinion?
Hi Lynn, yes you have correctly understood my recommendation. Cooking food can reduce its nutritional value, but on the same hand it can become more bioavailable (easier for the body to absorb). This is why I recommend gently cooking it.
As mentioned in the post, this is not a recipe I formulated and I am not a canine nutritionist. This recipe is bulked up from a Rodney Habib & Dr. Karen Becker recipe, who are canine nutritionists. It was also recommended by my vet. Everyone has a different opinion on whether dogs need carbs- I don’t really have one since I’m not an expert, but my recommendation is to follow a vet and canine nutritionist you trust.
What I can say is that my dogs Leeloo and Remy are extremely healthy. Leeloo has been on this diet since she was 3 months old (with calcium supplements added), and Remy since she was 4. Remy is now 8, and people are always shocked at how young & healthy she looks at her age. I know 8 isn’t old, but it’s not very young for a dog either. Remy still looks young and has the energy of a young adult or puppy 🙂
Started using this receipe 2 months ago, both my miniature long hair dachshunds love love love it – thank you
My dog loves this food. As far as gently cooking, I have portioned my batch into bpa free bags and froze. Would I be able to gently cook this recipe by souse vide? Maybe at a temperature around 150 for 5 minutes? I would defrost the frozen food first and then cook. This would not have the temperature of the food go over 150, or whatever I chose. Souse vide allows you too keep a constant consistent temperature. All the juices would be retained in the bag .
Hi Jennifer, I think that would be ok but I highly recommend thawing the food in the fridge. Also, just make sure your portioned dog food is NOT vacuum sealed. That can put your dog at risk for botulism. Always remove frozen foods from vacuum sealed bags when thawing.