How to create a raw dog food recipe

A well-thought-out, and properly prepared, raw dog food recipe can keep Fido happy, healthy and in peak condition.

If you want to feed your dog a raw diet, you might well be wondering how to choose the right ingredients, how much to use, and how to prepare them.

To get things right it`s important to know the basics of what nutrients your dog needs, and of course what`s safe for him to eat and what isn`t.

Once you`ve learned this, it simple to prepare tasty, healthy dishes that your dog will love....

... and on this page you`re going to find all the tips, advice and information you need, so let`s get started!

About Raw Food Diets For Dogs

Although a `raw dog food recipe` may sound like a contradiction in terms - after all, you might think `if it`s raw why do I need a recipe?` - making sure that your dog gets all the nutrients he needs involves more than just throwing a couple of bones and a carrot into his bowl!

Feedingraw food doesn`t involve cooking (duh!), but it does involveresearch and preparation - plus effort, creativity and patience.

It`s important to make sure that recipes you choose provide your dog with the rightbalance of nutrients for his size, age and activity level. Just likewith humans, a varied diet made up of high-quality ingredients is thebest way to achieve this goal.

This means alternating raw dog food recipes so that your dog gets a wide variety of meat, vegetables and fruits every week.

Ingredients For Raw Dog Food Recipes

Before I get down to specifics, I thought it might help to give you an example of how to put together your dog`s raw meals.

Although there are a LOT of variations, you need to use the same basic ingredients in the correct ratio/balance every time.

And of course you`ll tailor your own personalized recipes to suit your dog`s taste!

Here`s a look at the basic structure for any raw meal designed for dogs:

1 1/2 cups of raw chopped meat (including some on the bone)

1/2 cup raw vegetables/fruit (perhaps a mixture of carrots, celery and apples)

2tsp of fish oil

Vitamin/Mineral supplement as directed on product

Plenty of fresh water to drink.

Now you`ve got an idea of what you`ll be using to prepare your dog`s meals, let`s take a look at some specific figures:

• An adult dog needs to eat just over 2% of his bodyweight in foodeach day (whether it`s raw dog food, or homemade food that you`recooking for him).

  So, for a 10lb dog that`s just under 1/4lb of food-for a 50lb dog just over 1lb, and for a 100lb dog about 2.5lbs. Youcan use this guide to figure out how much your dog needs, but of coursebear in mind that all dogs are different and that these figures areguidelines only.



• Each meal should be made up of 75% meat and 25% vegetables


• Thebones in any raw dog food recipe should have an equal amount of meatand bone (ie a 1:1 ratio). Big bones with just a little bit of meataren`t nearly as good as smaller bones with more meat on them.

Of course, the mainstay of any dog diet is a good source of protein, and for most dogs that protein is best when it comes from quality meat.

You`ll be using meaty bones as a big part of your dog`s raw food recipes, but for some meals you`ll need to use chopped meat or fish instead/as well as, the bones.

It`s important to always use human-grade meat andgo `organic` with all ingredients whenever possible.

Here are a selection of options for you to try:

• Chicken - chicken necks, thighs, wings and even feet are great choices


• Turkey - as above


• Duck


• Lamb


• Beef


• Rabbit


• Venison


• Wild game birds such as Pheasant or Partridge


• Offal (or organ meat) such as liver, kidneys and so on are excellent, but rich, so use sparingly


• Whole fish of just about any kind are fine, but raw salmon often isn`t recommended

There are tons of different fruits and vegetables that you can add toany raw dog food recipe.

Something worth noting here is that a dogs`digestive system can`t absorb the nutrients from raw vegetables/fruitunless they are finely chopped or ground (as if when using a foodprocessor or blender) or juiced.

Like people, some dogs prefercertain ones and you will find out about your dogs` preferences as yougo along.

Don`t be too rigid about this though as it`s important that hegets a wide variety of fruit and veggies so keep trying different onesuntil you have a good selection that he will eat.

Also, there are afew that can cause excess gas or other digestive upsets, others thatare actually dangerous, even toxic, to dogs. Here`s a list of somevegetables that you can use safely:

• Brussel Sprouts


• Carrots


• Cauliflower


• Okra


• Green Beans


• Peas


• Pumpkin


• Squash


• Romaine Lettuce


• Parsley


• Celery


• Sweet Potatoes

Don`t use garlic, onions or potatoes with their skin on... these can cause stomach upset and even be toxic in large quantities.

Cabbage and turnips can result in a lot of gas, and tomatoes, cucumbers, mushrooms and peppers can cause tummy upsets.

Video: How to Make Raw Dog Food (New Sound Track

You can also add a number of different fruits to any raw dog food recipe.

Here are some of the most common and popular choices:

• Apples


• Bananas


• Pears


• Strawberries


• Blueberries


• A variety of Melons

Don`t use grapes or raisins. They can be poisonous to dogs.

Other ingredients that can be used to add variety and extra nutritional value to raw dog food recipes include:

• Cottage Cheese


• Plain Yogurt


• Raw Eggs - including the shells


• Peanuts or Almonds (NOT Macadamia Nuts)


• Sunflower seeds


• Wheatgrass


• Food grade bonemeal


• Kelp

Some people like to add grain to a raw food recipe, but this isn`t actually necessary because dogs don`t need grain in their diet.

However if you really want to do this, try oats, barley or rice as these are less likely to cause allergies or sensitivities.

How To Prepare Raw Meals For Dogs

It`s actually super easy to whip up raw dog food recipes once you have the ingredients on hand and prepared.

It`s almost as easy as pouring kibble into a bowl (close anyway!).

Usingthe 75% meat to 25% vegetable/fruit ratio, all you have to do is mixthe ingredients together and offer them as one meal, or divide into twoand feed half in the morning and half in the evening.

To make up 1lb (approx 2cups) of raw dog food, you`ll need:

• roughly 12oz (1 1/2 cups) of meat
• and 4oz (1/2 cup) of prepared vegetable/fruit mixture
• approx 2tspof fish oil (ie cod liver oil or salmon oil) or flax seed oil (or anOmega-3 supplement), and a vitamin/mineral supplement
• plus a sprinklingof bonemeal and a some probiotics

Obviouslyraw food has one big difference to dry kibble, and that is the factthat it doesn`t have much of a shelf-life. Whatever isn`t going to beserved/eaten right away needs to be refrigerated immediately, and willbe okay for 24 hours or so. After that you need to throw it away.

Tomake life a little easier you can prepare large batches of food in onego, then divide it into daily portions (using the guidelines givenearlier for the daily requirements) and freeze it. Make sure to defrostthoroughly, in the refrigerator, before serving though - otherwise youcould make your dog sick.

A Little Extra Help.....

If you want to change up your raw dog food recipes, find new ideas, or just get a little extra help to make the whole process quicker and easier, there are lots of products out there that can do just that.

First of all, there are some great raw dog food recipe books. If your imagination gets stuck in neutral or you`re not sure about combinations, measurements etc, then one of these will help you out....

Raw Dog Food: Make It Easy for You and Your Dog

Raw and Natural Nutrition for Dogs: The Definitive Guide

Unlocking the Canine Ancestral Diet:
Healthier Dog Food the ABC Way

Work Wonders: Feed Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones

Or, perhaps you really want to feed a raw dog food diet but aren`t sure you have the time for preparation, freezing etc., there are some great alternatives out there.

Some are `complete` diets, some can be added to a dietof premium commercial dog food (replacing a portion of the meal),others can be used as the meat ingredients in a raw dog food recipe....the choice is yours.

Sojourner Farms range of all-natural pet food mixes makes it easy foryou to prepare a homemade meal for your dog quickly and without mess.

Video: Homemade Dog Food - Raw Dog Food Recipe 1

No need to think up a raw dog food recipe and spend time cutting and chopping! Just add the fresh meat (or use the new `Sojo`s Complete which even contains the meat!) and water and hey-presto, it`s dinner time :)

Check out their whole range here.....

Raw Dog Food & Puppies

When it comes to puppies, feeding raw dog food is a bit morecomplicated. That`s because pups have very specific nutritional needs,and an improperly balanced diet can lead to all sorts of developmental and growth problems, perhaps leaving lasting effects.

Unlessyou`re very comfortable using raw dog food recipes and are prepared totake the time and effort required to make absolutely certain that yourpuppy is getting exactly what he needs, then it may be best to leave theraw dog food recipe until his little body has stopped growing and he`smature.

If you do decide to feed raw dog food to yourpuppy/puppies, always discuss it with your vet first to make sure thatyou have all the health angles covered!

If you`d like to feed a homemade diet to your dog but prefer to actually COOK the food first, check out my Homemade Dog Food page.

Reviews & Comments