One of my friends brought to my attention that everyone is bougie about something. For one friend, it’s his laundry detergent. For another it’s his car. For me, it’s the food my dog consumes.

I won’t get too deep into the nutrition standards for processed American dog food verses European dog food (the government subsidizes more corn than humans can eat, and all of that surplus ends up as fillers in budget dog food. Corn is not part of a dog’s natural diet).  There’s the controversial “animal by-product” ingredient that incudes animals that were dead on arrival to the slaughter house then sat out in the heat for hours to days that gets packaged and fed to dogs. This is especially seedy when the ingredients won’t even tell you what animal the by-product came from (could be feeding your dog another dog). Animal by-products and filler corn are used because they are cheaper, not because they are nutritious. I like to know what I’m putting into my body which transfers over to knowing what my dog consumes, so I avoid this ingredient.

I spoil my dog with wet dog food as a daily part of his meal. But that gets pricy.  I alleviate costs while keeping nutrients by making my own wet dog food. Since two beings are able to eat the food instead of one, less food goes to waste in my home than it would if it were only me eating it.

By making your own dog food you can personalize and cater to your dog’s needs. A three-year-old working dog that pulls cargo on sleds for 40 miles in the snow is going to have different nutrition needs than a slightly pudgy, senior, medium-sized Boxer-mix who loafs on the sofa for 10 hours a day. Work with a professional to hone in on your pup’s nutritional requirements.

Important Note!!!   You want to avoid feeding your dog: onions, raisins, grapes, mushrooms, corn, garlic, avocado, nuts, sugars, chocolate, coffee, and citrus fruit. If you’re using sweet potatoes out of the can, be sure to rinse the sweet syrup off. You don’t want to cause diabetes in your pup. Pork is also not advisable because it is super fatty and could cause similar health issues in pets as it does in humans. So if you use it, use it sparingly.

Here’s a simple recipe but of course, you can get creative with the combinations.

2 pounds lean ground beef, turkey, or chicken (lamb, veal, duck if you’re fancy)

1 cup carbs like rice, oats, barley, or potatoes

2 Tbs Flaxseed oil

2 Tbs Hemp seed oil (provides omega 6.3)

1 Tbs ginger (manganese)

½ cup Kelp (iodine)

Egg with shell (calcium)

Small jar of anchovies

3 oz beef liver (copper, zinc, iron)

1 cup veggies such as green beans, peas, spinach, carrots

I go usually take one of three dog food cooking options: stew, meat loaf, or Blend

Blended Wet Dog Food Instructions

1. Cook the meat first (bake or cook on the stovetop)

2. Cook the carbs/grains until soft

3. Flash boil the veggies until soft

4. Crush the whole egg to the food processor

5. Mix all in a food processor (remember, dogs don’t chew their food 20 times so they don’t choke so the pieces need to be small)

6. Add other ingredients

Dog Food Stew Instructions

1. Brown the meat first.

2. Boil the rice until soft

3. Add all ingredients to a pot of water or broth and simmer for 45 min or so. You can also dump all the ingredients in a slow cooker as well.

Dog Meat Loaf

1. Boil grains until edible

2. Use a food processor to chop and mix all the ingredients. Be sure to crunch up that egg shell in a food processor and distribute it to the mix.

3. Use your hands to mix all ingredients into ground meat.

4. Form a loaf and bake at 350 for 45 minutes or so, until the center is brown.

*another option is to make meatballs out of this.

Divvy out into individual containers or baggies and freeze until needed. Viola!

Also note: I often use Missing Link Dog Supplements to make sure I didn’t leave any nutrition out.