Caring for a dog on a budget can be challenging at times, especially when you're trying to feed Fido a healthy, high quality diet. We want to give our dogs the best, but the better a product is, the more expensive the price tag. Homemade dog food is one of the healthiest meal options, and you can make it on a budget!
Finding a dog food recipe is easy, but finding a healthy option can be more difficult than you may think. Just because an internet site says the recipe is recommended by a veterinarian does not mean that it's a healthy option for all dogs.
Every dog has his own unique nutritional requirements. Even dogs of the same age, sex and breed still have different needs, because their overall health and well-being is different. Some dogs are overweight, while others could stand to gain a few pounds. Dogs in different stages of life need different nutrition, as well.
Dogs also have individual nutritional needs based on their activity level. For example, a dog that stays indoors all day while his owner is away at work will not burn nearly as many calories as a working dog that is on the move all day long.
So, what does this mean for your pooch?
While this recipe is made with relatively inexpensive ingredients and is a healthy option for most canines, it may not be a good fit for your dog. The best thing that you can do is consult your veterinarian and/or a canine nutritionist. They can help you to better understand your dog's unique nutritional needs and find recipes that will meet those needs.
Cheap & Healthy Homemade Dog Food Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 medium-size sweet potatoes (grated)
- 2 large carrots (grated) OR 1.5 cups french cut carrots
- 1 can kidney beans
- 4 eggs
- 1 tsp. crushed rosemary
- 1.5 lbs. ground beef (85% or 90% lean)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°.
Rinse and drain the kidney beans. Add rosemary, kidney beans and eggs in a food processor. I include the egg shells, because they are a great source of calcium for dogs. They also provide a number of nutrients that promote joint health such as collagen, glucosamine and chondroitin. If you don't want to include the shells, you don't have to.
Pureé the ingredients in your food processor. Now, add the pureéd ingredients to a medium-size mixing bowl and add the grated sweet potatoes, carrots and ground beef. Use your hands to thoroughly blend the ingredients, just like you would if making a meatloaf.
Place the mixture in as many loaf pans as needed. Bake the loaves for about 60 minutes in the 350° oven.
The suggested serving size for this recipe is about 1 cup for every 15 pounds of body weight. Keep in mind that this recipe may not be nutritionally balanced for every dog, so please check with your veterinarian before switching to homemade diet. If your dog is active, he may need more calories, while lazier pups may not need smaller servings.
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