Check out this healthy slow cooker recipe for homemade dog food – perfect for dogs with allergies or food sensitivities.
Happy Crock-tober, Friends!
What an amazing world we live in that there’s a month dedicated to the best kitchen tool on the planet…the crockpot (AKA slow cooker if you are from the Southern persuasion).
In honor of the lovely month of CROCK-TOBER, I am going to share with you my #1 most requested crockpot recipe of all time…
CUE THE CONFETTI
It’s my world-famous, internationally acclaimed, intergalactically renowned recipe for…
HOME-MADE DOG FOOD!!
(Okay, maybe it’s not technically famous throughout the solar system, but that’s only because there are no dogs in space…yet!)
Honestly, I’m not sure if that speaks more to my cooking abilities (or lack thereof) or the deep love we all have for our pets, but either way, it’s my #1 personally requested slow cooker recipe and my top trending crockpot Pin on Pinterest!
WHY MAKE YOUR OWN DOG FOOD?
Yes, making homemade dog food can be a pain in the booty, and yes, it takes more effort and time than grabbing a bag of kibble or a can of dog food from your local store, but not all dogs fair well with commercially sold dog food.
From an early age, our pup Harper had consistent ear infections, and instead of just continuing to treat the symptom of infected ears, we really wanted to get to the root cause of what was actually triggering this type of inflammation in her body.
Aw, isn’t she cute?
After discussing possible causes, our vet recommended removing poultry from her diet thinking Harper might have an allergy to products with any type of fowl in them.
Being the conscientious pet lovers that we are, we told the vet to shove it and continued to feed her chicken….just kidding…I just wanted to see if you were actually paying attention to my little story here! LOL!
Now back to what I was saying…
So…we decided to give it a try, and we had a heck of a time finding food that had no poultry in it…hmmm…so what’s a gal to do?
Well, start making her own dog food, of course!!
After a little bit of serious online research (AKA looking on Pinterest), I found quite a few viable dog food recipes and started trying them out.
This was all good and well, but I ran into a few snafus along the way as I started on this journey in creating my own dog cuisine.
PROBLEM #1 – TIME VAMPIRE
As soon as we started feeding Harper our homemade dog food recipe, she never got another ear infection again, so I knew what was going in her dog bowl was vastly improving her health, yet the downside was that it was taking TOO.DANG.LONG to cook fresh food for her every few days.
You see, I’ve got my whole family that I can barely feed, and now I have to make a customized dinner for my dog?
This mama ain’t got time for that!!
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ANSWER #1 – CROCKPOT TIME
Little did I know that my problem could be solved by simply buying a new kitchen tool – a slow cooker!!
(This one is my absolute fave because it has a large capacity, it has various heat settings, and it’s white – I mean, you gotta have a crockpot that matches your kitchen color palette, right?)
I had been cooking her food over the stovetop which was adding way too much time to my meal prep, so using a slow cooker where I literally just dump all the ingredients in, let it cook for a few hours, and voila, it’s done…was an answer to my prayers. #thankyouJesus
PROBLEM #2 – NUTRITIONAL NEEDS
Another initial challenge we had making our own dog food at home was that we were a bit worried she wasn’t getting all the vitamins, minerals, and overall nutrition she needed!
I am not a veterinarian dietician (Is there actually such a thing? – I did meet some veterinarian ophthalmologists at a dueling piano bar once #truestory, so I am guessing “yes” there are probably vet dieticians too) so I really didn’t know if our pooch Harper was getting all she needed dietetically (Yep, real word…impressed?)
ANSWER #2 – GET THE GASTRO GOODS
The solution to my second concern was much easier than getting a degree at a vet dietician school…I just chatted with my vet and added a few supplements that were needed specifically for our dog.
(As you should with any medical decision for your pet, please consult with your medical practitioner for your furry friend’s personalized clinical needs – this post is not giving any veterinarian, medical advice)
The Products My Vet Recommended to Add to our Homemade Dog Food Recipe
1. Pet Multi-Vitamin– Ensures our pet is getting all the vital daily nutrients
2. Freeze Dried Beef Hearts – “Organ meats” are a superfood for dogs (who knew?)
3. Fish Oil – Omega 3 Oil – Supports skin, coat, joints, and overall health
4. Urinary Tract Cranberry Chews – Individually needed for our dog who gets UTIs on occasion
Once I took care of the initial concerns of making my own dog food, I was ready to roll because I knew I could make her food easily and she was getting all the nutrition she needed!
Now after 4+ years of being my dog’s own personal chef, here is the combination that my pup seems to like best.
EASY & HEALTHY DOG FOOD CROCKPOT RECIPE
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 green apple (peeled, cored, and chopped)
• 1/2 zucchini (chopped)
• 1 handful of fresh spinach (chopped)
• 1/3 cup frozen peas
• 1/3 cup frozen green beans
• 1/3 cup frozen carrots
• 1/3 cup cooked brown rice
Put all of the ingredients in a crockpot and cook for 4-6 hours on low/med until fully cooked. Store in the fridge in an airtight container and add supplements to individual servings when feeding your dog.
Other Possible Add-ins:
(depending on your pooch’s palette)
– Cauliflower
– Broccoli
– Chicken
– Hard-Boiled Eggs
– Sweet Potatoes
– Salmon
– Pumpkin
– Most veggies are great additions
(be sure to check with your vet before adding new foods to your dog’s diet)
If you want to see the quick Pinterest Story Idea, here’s a quick visual overview!
So there you have it friends, my “globally acclaimed” crockpot dog food recipe!
I would absolutely love a comment below hearing about your dog recipes or how this one turned out for you…
Until next time, cheers to wet puppy kisses and happy wagging tails, and cheers to you!
XOXO,
Magan
Oh by the way… in case you don’t have your Pet’s Emergency Grab n’ Go Kit ready, be sure to check out my post on how to be prepared for a natural disaster with your four-legged love here!
Go Ahead..Pin me for Later!
Too cute not to Pin!!
