Canning Homemade Dog Food

Knowing how to can your own homemade dog food is a great skill.  You may have cases of it stored back, but eventually if it runs out or spoils then you may need to know how to make your own.  Also let's face it, most of the canned stuff you can buy at the pet stores just isn't that healthy for your pooch.  I would like to show you one easy crock pot recipe, and share with you a few recipes that I have found that I think would be a delicious addition to your dog's bug in preps.  These are not bug out meals because they are just too heavy to be carrying around .  I will be getting to the bug out meals in the upcoming blogs.  

Let's get started shall we?

First, you are going to need the following:

3 lbs of boneless skinless chicken, cut into chunks

If you review my blog on how to butcher and process an whole chicken then you'll see how I get the most chicken for the least money. 

1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks

3 carrots, sliced

1 15 oz can of kidney beans drained

2 medium apples, peeled and cut into small chunks

1 small bag of frozen green beans

1 small bag of frozen peas

First you will add the chicken chunks.  Cover the chicken chunks with water by about 1/4 inch.

Next you will add the sweet potato chunks.

Next you will add the carrot slices

Next you will add the kidney beans

Next add the green beans. don't thaw, just toss them in frozen.

Next add the apple slices and stir

Let everything cook in the crock pot on low for 8.5 hours.  After 8.5 Hours add the frozen peas.  Cook for 30 more minutes.

If your dog likes traditional dog food, then your dog food is done.

However, If your dog likes or requires their food to have a more pâté like texture then you may wish to place it in a food processor or blender.  Like the picture at the top of the blog entry.

This recipe made 10 jars of homemade dog food and for homemade, it costs very little.

But best of all, my Wasabi loved it!

/Some other great examples of nutritious dog food mixtures would be:

12oz black beans
3 cups white mushrooms
1T Peanut Butter
1 Cup Boil in Bag Brown Rice

or

1 Cup Boil in Bag Brown Rice
1 small yellow squash cubed small
1/2 c pumpkin puree
1 cup spinach
1/2 c frozen broccoli
1/2 c frozen edamame

There are also LOTS of recipes online.

It's imporatnt to remember that dogs need to have their diet come from approximately 30% protein, 10% fat and 60% carbohydrate. more or less of each is okay.  But especially try to stay away from fats.  dogs can get pancreatitis,  OUCH!

Suitable foods include, but are not limited to:
for the CARBS:
Brown Rice / I SOMETIMES like to substitute white rice, like I did for the but out food tutorial.
Oats
Quinoa

Veggies Green:
asparagus
broccoli
green beans
kale
peas
spinach
zucchini

Veggies Other:
Pumpkin
Sweet Potato
Carrot
Bell Pepper
Squash

fruits
apples
blueberries
cranberries
watermelon
blackberries
honeydew
strawberries
peaches
pears

Oils/fats
coconut oil
flax seed oil
evoo

seeds:
chia
pumpkin
flax meal
peanut butter
sunflower

fun extra: nutritional yeast adds a cheesy flavor, without all the fat!!!

Dogs are like every creature.  It's all about finding the right balance and approach.  Also, your dogs nutritional requirements may differ from the typical requirements, so if you're not sure I would advise asking your vet before committing to making food for it, so you know that you are making the best quality healthful stuff you can for them.

Happy Prepping!