If your dog is picky about the food he eats or suffers from food allergies, here is a homemade dog food crockpot recipe that helps my dog. Enjoy!
Are you wanting to make your own dog food? This is an easy homemade dog food crockpot recipe.
Just throw all the ingredients in the crockpot and cook for a couple of hours.
The result is a healthy, homemade dog food that your furry family member will love!
My dog has had food allergies FOREVER! I have tried almost every dog food under the sun from expensive to EXPENSIVE.
Finally, I had it and decided to look into making my own. I was shocked how easy it is.
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*Consult your veterinarian in deciding what food to make for your dog. I am not a vet. I have done my own research, and this is what works great for my fur baby.
What do you put in homemade dog food?
These are the ingredients I put in my homemade dog food:
- ground chicken
- kidney beans, carrots
- butternut squash
- peas
- green beans
- white rice
What other foods can you use in homemade dog food?
- You can interchange all the ingredients.
- I buy the meat that is on sale such as hamburger, turkey, and chicken.
- You change out the vegetables from time to time also. I sometime switch out the butternut squash with pumpkin or sweet potato.
- You can add in apples for a variety in flavor.
- Instead of the kidney beans, you can use lentils or pinto beans.
- You can also add in chicken livers. Chicken livers are really good for your dog, but also very rich. You want to add in small amounts.
- The egg shells are also very good for dogs. This adds in calcium. Most dogs won't eat the shells unless they are really broken up or crushed. You can crush the shells in a coffee grinder, food processor, or with a mortar and pestle.
- Salmon, salmon oil, and fish oil also helps with skin allergies and inflammation.
- I use white rice because it is easier on sensitive stomachs than brown rice. You can use brown rice if your dog does not have a sensitive stomach.
Tip: Give your dog supplements!
My vet said this recipe was very well balanced.
However to assure me that my dog was getting all the proper vitamins that my dog might need, he suggested I give my dog VetriScience Canine Multi Pro - Extra Vitamins, Minerals, Essential Fatty Acids, and Probiotics - Important for Homemade and Raw Diets - 60 Soft Bite-Sized Chews
He would suggest this supplement for my dog if he was eating store bought food as well. You can find cheaper supplements if you do some research. This is just the brand we use.
My dog is also older. He is at the age where he needs joint supplements.
He is a picky eater and has snubbed his nose at several different joint supplements that I have tried to offer him.
However, he LOVES Ark Naturals Sea Mobility Joint Rescue Chews, Beef, Increase Flexibility, Mobility and Joint Comfort, Vet Recommended for All Dog Breeds, 500 mg Glucosamine, 9 oz. Bag .
I buy the beef flavor. It is all natural with great ingredients.
He thinks he is eating a treat when I give him his little square chew!
Additional tips:
When I make this homemade crockpot dog food, I portion it out in baggies.
Next, I store the bags of food in the freezer.
I pull a bag of food out the night before to defrost the food for the next morning.
I add a little water to mix in so he slows down eating it.
My dog loves it and will inhale his food. I found adding the water in slows him down just a bit.
I feed him half a bag in the morning and half at night.
My dog, Goliath, loves the dog food! He wakes me up first thing in the morning begging for his food.
The little bugger jumps on my chest, then takes his little paw to hit me in the head to wake up.
He will not let me roll over to ignore him. He wants his breakfast.
Goliath also loves me for making it for him.
I have found him to be more peppy and less itchy. He is seven years old and acting like a new pup.
I won't go back to dry food again!
Not all dogs are created equal. If your dog's stomach seems sensitive to this recipe or really gassy, I would omit the beans.
I also have a homemade Doggy Treat Recipe here.
How much homemade dog food should you feed your dog?
You can calculate how much to feed your dog here. It is a great resource to tell you how many calories your dog needs based on it's size.
The calories in the recipe box are an estimate based on lean chicken.
If you are making your homemade dog food for the first time, introduce the new food a little at a time. You don't want your dog to get sick from a fast transition.
You may want to start off with half of the homemade food and half of the regular food for a couple of days.
Consult your veterinarian on how to do that best.
When you make this homemade dog food, please tell me what you think in the comment section! It would mean the world to me to hear back. My readers will appreciate the information also.
Also post your picture of your dog's food on Instagram or Facebook, and tag @aforkstale with #aforkstale hashtags! I will share with my followers! xoxo!
Easy Homemade Dog Food Crockpot Recipe with Ground Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 lbs lean ground chicken
- 1 cup butternut squash I use frozen, precut
- 15 oz can kidney beans drained
- 1 cup peas
- 1 cup green beans
- 1 cup carrots sliced or diced
- 1 ½ cup uncooked rice
- 4 cups of water
Instructions
- Add 3 lbs lean ground chicken, 1 cup chopped butternut squash, 15 oz drained can of kidney beans, 1 cup peas, 1 cup green beans, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 ½ uncooked white rice, and 4 cups of water to a crock pot.
- Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6 hours, stirring occasionally.
Lori
Thanks so much for this recipe. I had picky eaters and my older dog had skin and mobility issues. I decided to try it. I do use beef broth instead of water and my dogs seem to prefer lentils. I have made it every Sunday in the crockpot for the last 4 weeks. I do mix it with a little kibble for crunch. I can tell you this is amazing. My older dog is more peppy and seems to move better. Both their coats are improved. It is easy and so good for them. Also, cost effective! Thanks!
Katie Crenshaw
I buy the fish oil in pill form. I pop it just enough to pinch out the oil and then I mix it in his food that he is eating that morning.
Bea
How do you give your furbaby the fish oil, I have a Sheltie and I tried putting it in the food but he gets it in his hair (mane) when eating and it stinks and hard to get the smell out of his hair?
I make mine his food as well, he was born with environmental allergies and gets a Cytopoint shot every 5 weeks and sometimes Apoquel pill too, he turned 5 in March.
Katie Crenshaw
I am not sure what the exact ratio would be with only using tilapia. I sometimes add fish to the recipe, but I still keep the chicken as the main protein, so I don't know how to advise you. I think the important thing is to make sure your dog is getting the right amount of calories.
Cherene Lisowski
I started feeding my Irish Setter this recipe with Tilapia instead of chicken 2 weeks ago and he is loving it. I would love to switch to chicken but the vet told me to try Salmon or Tilapia because he has developed an allergy. He was on Grain Free 4 HEALTH TURKEY. About a year ago he started to go in 5-6 day cycles where he would barely touch it then all the sudden eat again. Recently his nostrils started swelling up. I don't know how he was breathing. I don't know what he's allergic to but it may be a combination of outdoor and food. He's 4yrs old almost 5. He started having runny eye goobers 2 years ago and they said probably allergies. (SPRING/SUMMER TIME) I love the recipe and it's so easy to make but hate the fish smell. lol Should I be using the same amount of fish as chicken in this recipe?
Thanks CL
Kathy
I use my hand blender to chop up chunks of butternut squash and the frozen green beans to make them smaller. Much faster than chopping it up by hand. I use frozen peas and carrots that are already mixed. I add 1/2 c of dried red lentils rinsed and an additional 1.5 cups of water in place of canned kidney beans or lentils. I have used pumpkin instead of the butternut squash, but it wasn’t liked as much. I also add some low sodium beef broth in place of some of the water. I have cut the rice to 1 c as my Bichon/Shitzu cross isn’t a fan of lots of rice. Both he and our Havenese are fed twice a day and lick their bowls clean. Have been feeding it for about 6 wks so far. Making a batch and a half today so I don’t have to make it so often. The dogs turn up their noses at dry dog good now. We also have a puppy, but she is on a puppy dry food and raw food diet.
Katie Crenshaw
You can use canned vegetables, but I recommend using salt free. You also can cook this in a covered pot. I would cook it on low, stirring occasionally for an hour or until rice and chicken are fully cooked.
Gabriela
Can I use canned veggies for all the vegetables in this recipe or do they have to be fresh veggies? also can i simmer this covered in a large pot on the stove?
James Carter
I have a very picky eater. I had been mixing eggs, meat, etc in his dry food to entice him. It didn't work nearly as well as this food. I mix 1/2 cup of this food with 1 cup of his dry, and it's gone lickity split. I did use ground turkey instead of ground chicken. I also added 2 cans chunk tuna. I followed the rest of the recipe as written.
Veronica
I’m making the second batch of this now because the first batch my 3 pups absolutely loved!!! They were always ready for breakfast and dinner come time to eat and would eat right away which was so nice to be able to time them needing to go potty! This is 10 out of 10 and everyone needs to make for their pups!
Cathy Gouwens
My yorkie, Daisy Mae, is a very picky eater. I tried this recipe and she begs for more of this food constantly. Licks her bowl several times a day and asks for more. She loves it. I added the chicken livers and bought the supplements for her too. I may add some fish oil for her itchy skin. Hoping it helps her bad allergies. No more store bought food for her!! Thank you so much for this easy recipe!
Regina
This is my second batch in two weeks! I have varied the veggies and the meat. First batch I added zukes and cauliflower, because I didn't have the butternut squash. This time I have everything except green beans. My dog LOVES it! This recipe is so versatile. He's an older dog, so I've been using white rice.
Sylvia
We are making this tonight. Our poor Magnum licks his paws raw. He actually limps sometimes. We hope this will be the answer to his problem.
David Morris
Took my dogs of dry food as their breaths were awful. Tried this recipe, and to my amazement to woof it down. Their breath has improved no ends.
Jane & Mike Torrenti
Our dog loves this food! He is 60 lbs and we give him one cup of this and one cup kibble mixed with 1/2 cup water in the evening. We add a multivitamin, flaxseed oil and cosequin. He is 14 years old and feels great! We showed the recipe to our vet and he had no issues with us feeding this to our dog.
Isabella
Thank you so much for this recipe! I use lean ground beef instead of chicken, white rice instead of brown and omit the beans. My dog has never been so crazy about her food. I am so happy to know every ingredient in her food now!
tracey jones
Our puppy loves this. He was having some tummy issues and our vet kept having us give him chicken and rice. We decided to just try making his food instead to switching him back to a dry puppy food. We found your recipe and haven't looked back. Its so easy and our little guy loves it.....he's eating better than my kids.
Connie
Hi Katie! I cannot thank you enough for posting this recipe. I have two large dogs (one Chocolate Lab named Coco and one half Dane/half Mastiv named Brutus.) They are 10 an 12 respectively and they have both been deteriorating fast over the last couple of months. I have been feeding this diet for a week now and it is like having puppies again! I know they are old for big dogs, but I want to keep them healthy and happy as long I can and this has been amazing for them!!
Katie Crenshaw
I have used zip lock bags. I now use little individual freezer containers so that I don't have to throw away so much plastic. Either will work.
Tabitha L.
What do you find to be the best way to freeze this food? Freezer ziplocks?
My lab loves this. Still trying to figure out if this is more cost effective too. I do like knowing what really is in Bear’s food!!! Thanks for sharing this.