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Home Β» Cooking Tips and Basic Techniques

Homemade Dog Food Recipe (Low Protein)

Published: Jan 22, 2015 Last Updated: May 6, 2020 by Marye 1151 words. | About 6 minutes to read this article.

20 minutes mins
Homemade dog food for dogs who've been put on low protein diets by their vet. ALWAYS check with your own vet before changing your dog's diet!!
Jump to Recipe

Homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs and those with medical issues aren't as difficult to make as I thought they would be. If you use my tips it doesn't even take that much time! Just a note - I am not a vet. This recipe was given to me by my vet to feed to my dog that has kidney failure. It is meant to be low protein. You should not feed this (or any new food) to your dog without talking to your vet first.

make homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs easily and inexpenively - restlesschipotle.com

If you are following the Restless Chipotle Facebook page you already know that we had a serious issue with Cuddles, our pit bull (yes... Cuddles. If you have a pit you understand why that name, I'm sure).

We aren't sure how it happened but he got a bacterial infection and his kidneys began to shut down. He spent a week in doggie ICU -- refusing to eat.

When he got home he refused the special low-protein dog food and he just got thinner and thinner. It was time for some homemade dog food recipes!

cuddles was very sick but he is getting better on his new low protein diet. Homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs make it easy

I finally started making a dog food gruel that he would eat and he began to make a comeback.

It was a long, hard road! When I took him in for his check up and talked to the vet she gave me a recipe that she approved of. You see, although we have always fed our dogs premium dog food the protein was way too high for Cuddles now.

My vet explained that even our older dogs who were healthy should have less protein than before. She said dog food recipes for Cuddles had to be under 20 grams of protein but under 10 was better.

This recipe has 6.9% protein and Cuddles loves it. In fact, our older dog does, too. He is playing and jumping around like a puppy.

The other two (yes, we have four Β -- 2 yorkies that moved in when my husband and I got married and my old dog which is a long haired chihuaha mix-up, and then Cuddles) like the food as well so I mix it in with their dog food.

this is a close up of one of my Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs and dogs that need low protein because of kidney failure. restlesschipotle.com

Cuddles is a rescue dog - both of my dogs are.

We found him under our porch one day. When my son coaxed him out we saw that his chest and shoulders were basically shredded. He had been used as a bait dog -- thrown in with pit bulls being trained to fight.

I am horrified to say that there is a lot of that in my area. Anyway, my son had been wanting a pit bull and praying for one -- who am I to argue with God?

Cuddles after a few weeks after eating his Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs -- so much better! restlesschipotle.com

We found him on a Saturday so of course there were no vets open. I wasn't sure if he wasn't going to need his leg amputated it was so bad.

Shreds of flesh and muscle infested with maggots. I had my husband and son hold him so I could clean the wounds with cotton swabs and a copious amount of peroxide.

I was nervous because here I was digging into this dog's wounds and he was a big dog with big teeth -- even if he was skinny.

That dog never even snapped at me. He looked it me with those big eyes and pushed at my hand with his nose. That was all. I

cleaned those wounds a couple times a day all weekend long and then to my vet.They kept him overnight, put him out, scrubbed a couple of pounds of mud and dried blood off of him, then fixed him up.

Cuddles waiting for one of his favorite Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs -restlesschipotle.com

Tip

When you make homemade dog food recipes for senior dogs, and those with kidney failure, it's important to use the fattiest, cheapest ground beef you can find. You want more fat and less protein.

Totally the opposite of what I do when I'm making meatballs for us, for example.

I get a big chub pack and cook all of it up at once with the eggs that go in the recipe. Then I divide in in portions and freeze it. When I need another batch of food I thaw it and add the rest of the ingredients. So easy!

Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs ready for the freezer - restlesschipotle.com

The recipe calls for boiled eggs but I crack raw eggs into the nearly cooked ground beef and then cover the pan until everything is cooked and the yolks are cooked through. Then I chop them into the ground beef.

You May Need...

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It's very important that you use a kitchen scale to make this and to serve it. It must be done by weight.

This is similar to the kitchen scale I use and it works really well.

Escali Glass Digital Kitchen ScaleΒ is thin and accurate plus easy to clean. Just remember to put your dogs bowl on the scale and zero the scale out before measuring in the food.

Measure Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs with a kitchen scale - restlesschipotle.com

Measure everything very accurately and be sure not to make any substitutions or changes. The food should be refrigerated in an airtight container and eaten within three or four days.

Also - get a good canine multivitamin like (another affiliate link) Pet MD Multivitamin plus Minerals.Β This is extremely important because your food will not be enriched like the commercial foods are.

Update

I am sad to update this to say that Cuddles succumbed to his kidney disease but he lasted longer than the vet thought he would. His kidneys were just very weak.

We miss him terribly but within a few months two more pitties were at our kitchen door, starved and abused. We just couldn't resist Toby and Bisous.

Bisous (left) and Toby (right) showed up at our kitchen door a few months after Cuddles died. We miss Cuddles but we love these girls!
close up homemade dog food
3.95 from 166 votes

Homemade Dog Food Recipes for Senior Dogs

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Homemade dog food for dogs who've been put on low protein diets by their vet. ALWAYS check with your own vet before changing your dog's diet!!
Course Homemade Pet Food
Cuisine American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings:1
Calories:
Author:Marye Audet-White
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

  • ΒΌ pound ground beef, (do not use lean)
  • 2 cups cooked white rice, (no salt)
  • 1 hard cooked egg, , peeled and chopped
  • 3 slices white bread, , crumbled
  • 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate, (blend a bottle of calcium carbonate in the blender until it's a powder then keep in a resealable plastic bag)

I earn a commission from Instacart from qualifying purchases.

Instructions

  • Cook the beef until it is cooked through.
  • Stir in the remaining ingredients and mix it well.
  • Feed twice a day.
  • Be sure to give your dog a vitamin supplement.

Notes

Body Weight Feed per day:
5 pounds feed ΒΌ pound
10 pounds feed Β½ pound
20 pounds feed 1 pound
40 pounds feed 1 Β½ pounds
60 pounds feed 2 pounds
80 pounds feed 2 Β½ pounds
100 pounds feed 3 pounds
You'll find more helpful tips and variations in the body of the post.

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    About Marye

    With a 40 year focus on the importance of family and a passion for southern comfort food, Marye Audet-White is an expert in melding the two together effortlessly. Marye's a NY Times Bestselling author with 10 cookbooks under her belt and her recipes have been featured in Good Housekeeping, Country Living, Today, House Beautiful, Texas Living, Food & Wine, and many more.

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    1. Pat

      November 29, 2022 at 9:22 pm

      Can I add carrots I’m told they are very good for fur babies with kidney problems. Haven’t asked vet

      Reply
      • Marye

        November 30, 2022 at 12:42 pm

        You'll need to check with your vet but I'd think it would be ok.

        Reply
        • Lisa

          June 23, 2023 at 7:31 am

          Can I substitute ground chicken for the ground beef?

        • Marye

          June 24, 2023 at 8:26 pm

          No. Chicken has too much protein.

    2. Nancy

      June 08, 2022 at 9:54 am

      This recipe was originally published in the 1990's by Hill's Pet Food. I've used it several times on our dogs. Here's the printed recipe I have in my possession-
      Canine Restricted Protein Diet
      1/4 lb. ground beef (do not use lean round chuck), 2 cups cooked rice, 1 hard-boiled egg finely chopped, 3 slices white bread, crumbled, 1 teaspoon calcium carbonate, one balanced vitamin-mineral supplement.
      Cook beef in skillet stirring until lightly browned. Stir in remaining ingredients & mix well. This mixture is dry & you can add a little water(not milk). Keep covered in refrigerator. Yield 1 & 1/4 lbs.
      Protein-6.4% Fat-5% Carbs-21.0% Calories 740 Kcal/lb
      Feeding Guide 5lb-1/4 lb. 10 lb-1/2 lb. 20 lb.-1 lb. 40 lb.-1 1/2 lb. 60 lb.-2 lbs. 80 lbs.-2 1/2 lbs. 100 lbs. 3 lbs.

      I've always drained the beef in a strainer. When I go to the grocery store there's 3 types of beef-chuck, ground & sirloin. You want to use the middle one-ground. Chuck is too fatty & Sirloin doesn't have enough fat. Instead of calcium carbonate my vet told me to use the shell off of the hard boiled egg. Chop it up fine.

      Reply
    3. Paula Schiavitti

      May 12, 2022 at 2:23 pm

      This is the same diet my vet recommended I love that you have a double and triple recipe saved me time doing math! Is there a recipe for dog treats for this particular diet?

      Reply
      • Marye

        May 12, 2022 at 5:29 pm

        I don't have a recipe for treats. πŸ™

        Reply
    4. Pat lake

      February 08, 2022 at 3:37 pm

      Do I drain all the grease after browning the beef?

      Reply
      • Marye

        February 08, 2022 at 7:32 pm

        I don't - but check with your vet.

        Reply
    5. Mia

      May 13, 2021 at 1:38 am

      Hi! Would 1 pound be equivalent to whatever can fit into 2 - 8 ounce cups? Or do I need to weigh out 1 pound on a kitchen/food scale? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Marye

        May 13, 2021 at 5:02 pm

        you'll need to weight it out.

        Reply
    6. Beth Anne

      March 19, 2021 at 8:00 am

      5 stars
      Hi, Wondering about how many mg of the calcium carbonate. There are a lot of options! Thanks for the recipe! Giving it a try ASAP.

      Reply
      • Marye

        March 19, 2021 at 3:51 pm

        Check with your vet - it depends on the size of the dog.

        Reply
    7. Atonya

      February 18, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Where do you get the calcium carbonate

      Reply
      • Marye

        February 18, 2021 at 7:50 pm

        Amazon, health food store, pretty much anywhere.

        Reply
    8. Michelle

      January 10, 2020 at 6:01 am

      Thank you for the ideas. My senior is super picky and I am preparing meals for her but she won’t eat all that rice. If my ratio of rice is greater than the protein she won’t eat it. Any ideas to substitute rice?

      Reply
      • Marye

        January 10, 2020 at 10:05 am

        I'm not sure. Rice is very low protein and low gluten... some sort of gluten free starch - but be sure it's ok for dogs. Ask your vet?

        Reply
      • Rachelle Hauzer

        November 11, 2020 at 6:35 pm

        Hi Michelle,
        I have a fur baby named Kodi, who is also a rescue 🐾. He is 14 years old (I’ve had him since he was a puppy) He was just diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. He will not eat the prescribed fog food so I have been desperate to find something I can make for him. The vet was not very helpful and the internet is very contradicting πŸ™
        I want to thank you for your recipe! I am going to start him on it tonight!
        I was wondering if you would mind sharing how long Cuddles lived with his kidney disease before he passed? (I’m so sorry for you loss)
        I’m heart broken about Kodi’s diagnosis and want to do the best I can for him β™₯️

        Reply
        • Marye

          November 13, 2020 at 9:12 pm

          about 2 years but we got him when he was older AND he had a terrible start in life. πŸ™‚

    9. BEVERLY BARNEY

      November 04, 2019 at 10:06 pm

      I have an older dog just diagonsed withe the kidney failure. so I saw the you tube video for this one and then another you did with pumpkin. parsley apples vegs etc. so which one is better? why 2 of them? is this the original? i am confused to which to use

      Reply
      • Marye

        November 04, 2019 at 10:07 pm

        I didn't do a you tubevideo - that must be someone else.

        Reply
    10. kimri smith

      October 27, 2019 at 12:12 pm

      Thanks for the recipe, my Airedale loves it. A question though how do I make larger portions so I can refrigerate and also do you drain the ground beef after cooking?

      Reply
      • Marye

        October 31, 2019 at 9:29 am

        Multiply the ingredients.

        Reply
    11. Annie

      October 26, 2019 at 10:02 pm

      I'm confused as to how this recipe is low protein diet because I understand that eggs and beef are high in protein. ????

      Reply
      • Marye

        October 31, 2019 at 9:28 am

        Even on a low protein diet your dog needs some protein. This has a lot of rice and carbs to make it filling on the least amount of protein possible - at least that's what my vet says. Always consult your vet.

        Reply
    12. Sindy Scott

      September 08, 2019 at 6:13 am

      Thanks for posting recipe do you have any more
      recipe I can use because my fur baby does not like the kidney failure dog food I got from the vet. The only way she will eat it if I mix it with some table food.

      Reply
      • Marye

        September 08, 2019 at 11:29 am

        No I'm sorry, I don't.

        Reply
      • Penny Harveson

        October 26, 2019 at 2:21 pm

        I add water and to the prepared food. I let it soften a bit and she is more likely to take it. Failing that, I give her just some of the juice from a tin of tuna in spring water. Tinned fish has always been a favourite, I give her just enough to flavour the food, not to add extra protein.

        Reply
    13. Danny and Nancy Robinson

      August 24, 2019 at 5:44 pm

      My 10 year old pit has just been diagnosed with cistine stones and needs a low protein diet thank you so much! Can I ask why cuddles passed

      Reply
      • Marye

        August 25, 2019 at 10:13 am

        The kidney failure eventually caused his kidneys to shut down despite all we did.

        Reply
    14. Jessica

      August 17, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      I'm read in a previous post that Cuddles passed away. I'm so sorry. Your family is wonderful for adopting him and giving him the amazing life he deserved. There's no doubt he is healthy and happy in heaven.

      Reply
      • Marye

        August 19, 2019 at 12:30 pm

        Thank you Jessica - we've since been adopted by 2 pitties that were skin and bones when they showed up. We miss Cuddles but we love Toby and Bisous.

        Reply
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