dog food - homemade
Mood:  a-ok
Topic: recipes
OK, so my boyfriend called me this morning, asking me for my recipe for dog food. A co-worker friend of his is contemplating making food for his own dogs, so they figured since I've been doing that for the past three years, I'd be a good one to ask about it.

Here's the recipe. Measurements are approximate, since I just throw it all into a big pot :-)

About a cup of beans (blackeyed peas, red beans, cranberry beans, etc, or any combination thereof). Cook beans until they are thoroughly done (lentils and split peas cook faster, just about half an hour). Add about 3/4 cup of brown rice (it has more vitamins and minerals than white rice) during the last half hour of cooking (or cook rice with the lentils). When that's done, add a couple of cups of diced mixed vegetables (I use the frozen kind*, already cut and cooked; just make sure there are no onions or seasonings added). Make sure there's enough water to cover this mixture. Simmer until vegetables are cooked on low heat. Remove from heat and add about half a cup of instant (1 minute) oatmeal; stir thoroughly, then add a little more oatmeal, maybe 1/4 - 1/2 cup, depending on how much water there is to soak up. Let food cool thoroughly before feeding to dogs. This lasts my three Chihuahua-mix dogs three days when fed 3/4 cup servings.

*note: onions cause toxicity in dogs. I can't remember exactly what they do if ingested, but it's bad for their blood; it can cause anemia, I think. Do a net search for onion toxicity if you want details on that.

*Update: Ronda, I did a lot of research before I ever started cooking my canine children's food and I never once read that they should never have potatoes, just that it's wise to keep them in moderation.

Check this entry at my other blog for more info on this subject: Canine health and homemade food

*note: The vegetables I use in their food contains carrots, green beans, lima beans, and corn. Some canines have an allergy to corn and/or wheat, so if your canine has shown skin irritation in the past, that's something to keep in mind.