Balanced Homemade Dog Food

4.99 from 79 votes
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This is a balanced 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 we feed them 2/3 of a cup (each), 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.  

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.


4.99 from 79 votes

Balanced Dog Food Recipe

This is a veterinarian approved recipe by Dr. Becker &Rodney Habib
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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
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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

This will make 11-12 lbs of food, which lasts my two dogs around 3 weeks. My dogs are about 10 lbs each. Please talk to your vet or pet nutritionist about the correct portions for your dog. 
*Update: I am no longer supplementing this recipe with kibble. I feed my dogs only this recipe now! 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

About Stella

I come from a multicultural background, and cooking has been one of the best ways for me to stay connected to my heritage. My recipes are tried and tested, many of them passed down through family. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as we do!

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4.99 from 79 votes

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231 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Fantastic recipe! Thanks so much for sharing, such a great choice of ingredients. How did you calculate intake requirements? 2-3% of total body weight seems most common. What’s the ratio of food categories?

    No fish oil for daily EPA/DHA requirements? Super valuable. Although, it does make omega 6:omega 3 ratio (at least 2.6:1) really hard. I also want to add flax seed to help with bladder leakage, but that disrupts the ratio even more. The hemp seed addition does omega 6, but unsure how else to healthily increase it.

    I have an 80lb labrador, so Vitamin D & E requirements are much higher. Any recommendations? Don’t want to add a load of sardines.

    I’m a bit hesitant to include high oxalate ingredients like spinach/kale – is it worth the risk? I have a senior dog (13yo) so don’t want to tax her system.

  2. This blog post is a lifesaver. For years I thought about homemade meals for my dog but every recipe I’ve seen isn’t fully balanced and I’ve always been afraid of over or under feed. You’re the first post I’ve seen that isn’t trying to sell me a product and fully explains why each ingredient is important so thank you for that. You did say that this recipe doesn’t have all the calcium required. Now that you feed your pups only homemade food how do you complete their calcium intake?

    1. Hi Sarah! So this recipe does have enough calcium required for adult dogs (which both my dogs are now), but not enough calcium for puppies. When Leeloo was a puppy, I gave her calcium supplements. There are other ways to get more calcium in for puppies as well if you prefer all natural ingredients!

  3. Hope I am not asking a question you already answered, can I cook up the meat and then freeze it for a few months or do I need to freeze it raw and cook as needed?

    1. Hi Tammy, I would freeze it raw and cook it as needed. Cooked meat doesn’t maintain its quality as well as raw meat when frozen, and I’d be concerned about the loss of nutritional value in the ingredients. You can keep this frozen for up to 3 months but I recommend no longer than 1 month. Hope that helps!

  4. is it necessary to supplement with kibble? I have 4 dog babies, I feed them 2x a day. their weights are 7lbs, 13lbs,13.5lbs and 15.5lbs. the smaller ones I feed 1/4c 2x a day and the bigger dogs 1/3c 2x a day. the 2 smaller dods a considerably overweight. I’ve talked to my Vet in regards to this diet, he said to do my homework. he did say it was a good idea. can you help me with the amounts?
    I can my own food and have canned fresh caught trout. can I add some of this to the recipe.?if so how much?

    thank you so much,
    Pamela

    1. Hi Pamela, I don’t supplement with kibble anymore actually. I updated this in my blog post but forgot to update the recipe card, sorry about that. It is updated now!

      I wish I could help you with the amounts to give your dogs but as stated in my post, I am not a pet nutritionist so I’m not qualified to answer these questions. If it helps, my dogs are about 10 lbs and I give them each a little more than 1/2 cup twice a day.

  5. If you cook the food, do you freeze it raw and then cook the individual portions when you them, or cook it all and freeze?

  6. 5 stars
    Thank you for posting this excellent recipe. We have two darling Boston Terrier pups and we want them to live long and healthy lives. I would like to know your thoughts on stirring in the kelp powder and hemp seeds after cooking the whole recipe gently on low heat to preserve the nutrients.

    1. Hi Colette! I think that’s totally fine, probably even better for your pups. You would just need to do some math to figure out how much at each feeding. If you get the kelp powder I recommended, it will actually tell you how much to give your dogs based on their weight. Also please remember that this recipe does not meet the calcium requirement for puppies, so you will need to give them supplements or add another ingredient with calcium. Hope that helps!

  7. 4 stars
    I’m super excited to try this recipe after seeing it on your Instagram. By any chance do you think I can microwave a portion of it before feeding to my dog after I’ve let it cool? Do you think you could also recommend how long I should microwave for?

    1. Hi Sandy! I cook the food, let it cool, then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and feed my dogs the cooked food as is (cold). There is usually no need to warm up food for your dogs unless they are picky, since warm food can be more appetizing to dogs. My dogs devour the food cold with no issues, but if you need to heat it up for your dog try 15 seconds in the microwave, and just make sure the food isn’t too hot for them. Hope this helps!

  8. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! It’s my go to! Thank you for sharing this 😍
    I do have a few questions. I’ve tried it with Beef and Turkey, but was wondering how it would balance out with chicken or bison? Or even Venison and Rabbit? Or even Lamb?
    Some of these proteins are a little bit higher protein to fat, which I try to stay between 93% – 97%.
    Can I also incorporate the fats/veggie into an already ground raw frozen dog food, like Prey Model Raw, which already has the organ, bone, protein ratio to make it more like a barf recipe you have shared?